Rewriting the Future Book 1
by hermionewiz27
Summary: The year 1977, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore recives a package from his deputy Minerva McGonagall only she calls herself Headmistress. Inside the box are 7 books and together with the marauders, lily, alice, frank, severus, regulus and Minerva they read.
1. Chapter 1

_**I love these type of stories so I decided to do one. Right now its not set under any character but that may change. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.**_

The date was June 22nd the year 1977. It was on this day that Albus Dumbledore Headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardly received the most peculiar letter. It was from his deputy Minerva McGonagall however she addressed herself as Headmistress. Curious he opened the letter to find it dated June 1998. The letter stated the following:

June 1998

Albus,

I imagine by now you are wondering how I have managed to send you a letter from the year 1998. It wasn't easy and you know me to well to know that this is not a joke. In the future there were many horrible things happening even worse then what is currently going on right now. In order to prevent the same fate, I have sent you 7 books that detail the time and tell you every thing in order to change the future. Please gather these people to read the books with you:

James Potter Molly Weasley

Lily Evans Arthur Weasley

Sirius Black Severus Snape

Remus Lupin Regulus Black

Minerva McGonagall Frank Longbottom

Alice Smith

You are to read the books in order, and in their entirety. Also, and please inform everyone else about this, do not judge anyone until the books are finished. Also enclosed in this letter are 7 vials with memories in them. At the end of each book you can put these memories into your pensive and everyone can see some quick looks at some of the happier memories from each year. Also you will be receiving a guest once you finish the 4th book.

Sincerely,

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress of Hogwarts_

_P.S. I suggest you use the room of requirement._

Albus Dumbledore wasted no time at all in gathering everyone together. The next day at 8 A.M. Albus, Minerva, Molly, and Arthur were waiting for the students to arrive.

"Albus, what's this all about?" Minerva asked. He had been in a very peculiar mood when he informed to tell her Gryffindors to meet them here.

"All in good time Minerva." He said with a smile. She turned in a huff to Molly and Arthur.

"Do you know why were here?" Both of them shook their heads no. It was at that moment that the two Slytherins joined them. They looked at who was assembled but decided not to say anything. No one talked until all 6 Gryffindors showed up talking loudly.

"Hello Professor's." Lily said with her head girl pin shining on her chest. "Hi Severus." She said politely even though they were still arguing.

"Hi Lily." Severus said quietly which earned him a glare from James.

"Well!" Albus announced before anything else could start "I believe we're all here no so we can get started." And before anyone could say anything he started pacing in front of the wall. Right when Minerva opened her mouth to stop him a door appeared out of thin air.

"Wicked" Came out of Sirius and James's mouth. They all pilled into the room. It was a spacious living area with three large couches and a love seat which Lily and James quickly claimed. There was also coffee table in the center that all the furniture surrounded. On this table Albus dropped a large box, a small portable pensive and the bag with the memory vials.

"Professor, I feel one of us should ask, why are we all here?" Alice asked, and there was a murmur of consent from around the room. He smiled and pulled the letter out of his pocket and read it aloud.

By the time her was finished there was a look of shock around the room. Minerva quickly demanded to see the letter. She looked even more shocked than the others.

"It's my handwriting, it hasn't changed." She said.

"Wait so you mean this has to due with our future and our children's future?" Molly asked amazed. Arthur patted her arm.

"So it seems." Albus said. "We have been given a great responsibility in holding the future in our hands."

"So why do all of us need to be here? Wouldn't it be better for only a select group of people to know?" Remus asked the group.

"I can only assume that the reason you are all here is because these books affect each of you in some way and we need all of your help with this." Albus said.

"Well I don't know about you guys but I want to start reading." James said with a smile.

"Agreed." Lily said smiling at her boyfriend.

"Very well." Albus reached into the box and pulled out the book on top. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Every one turned to look at James who put his hands up in surrender.

"I don't have a relative named Harry, though I always like the name." He admitted.

"I always liked that name to." Lily said with a blush.

"Well I suppose that answers one question. Can be the best man please, please." Sirius pleaded earning laughs from across the room.

"Should I start?" Albus asked and opened the book. "Chapter 1 The Boy Who Lived"

_**Please review. I really want to continue with this.**_


	2. The Boy who Lived

_**Chapter one yea!**_

_**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the copy of the book I am using to write this.**_

**Chapter 1 The Boy who Lived.**

"The boy who lived I wonder what that means." Frank wondered.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive,**

"Did you just say Dursley, that's the name of my sister's husband." Lily said with a frown.

"All that does is prove my point Lily flower." Sirius said with a grin. She glared at him.

**Were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

"What wrong with being strange and mysterious?" James asked confused.

"Their muggles, some muggles hate things they don't understand." Arthur explained for him.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

"What are drills?" Molly, James, Sirius, Regulus, Frank and Alice asked collectively.

"A drill is power tool that can make little hole's appear in various substances." Lily explained.

"Oh."

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

"That sounds just like my brother in law, a great pig." Lily exclaimed.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.**

"That sounds exactly like your sister." James and Severus said at the same time. They both looked at the other in shock. "How do you know her sister?" James asked. Severus glared at him.

"We grew up in the same neighborhood, that's how I became friends with Lily." He explained and Lily nodded to confirm the story.

"Can I start again?" Albus asked.

"Sorry professor."

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley**

"Ha-ha Dudley" Sirius laughed.

**And in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere. The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret,**

"That the world would find out they had created the world's first eatable drill." Sirius said and Remus shifted away from him.

**And their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"Don't I feel special." James said sarcastically.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister,**

"Yes!" James yelled which caused the professors to laugh and for his girlfriend to slap him lightly and roll her eyes. No one noticed Severus glare at them.

**But they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.**

Lily sighed lightly she was currently fighting with her sister but had hoped it would blow over.

"Is unDursleyish even a word?" Regulus said. It was the first time he had talked considering that Severus and he were the only Slytherins in the room.

"I'm sure it is in their world." Alice said with a grumble having met Petunia last summer when she stayed with Lily.

"As amusing as your comments are we do have 7 books to get through." Minerva said slipping into the strict voice that all her students knew.

**The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him.**

Lily and James glared.

**This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"A child like what? A magic child?" Sirius asked.

"Probably." Lily told him.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

"Brat" Molly whispered, none of her three boys would be like that.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window. At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was no having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house.**

Both Minerva and Molly made a face and both were thinking about what a terrible parent he was.

**He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar --- a cat reading a map.**

"Probably an Animagus." Alice remarked.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen --- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.**

"Tabby cat? I bet that's you professor." Frank exclaimed.

"Bet you 5 galleons it's not." Sirius said with a grin. He was always eager to make quick money.

"You're on." And they shook hands.

**What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet drive ---- no, **_**looking**_** at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

"Such an entertaining life working with drills all day." Remus said dryly.

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

"What's wrong with cloaks?" Regulus asked. "We wear them all the time."

"Yes but muggles don't." Arthur explained "They think cloaks are quite weird attire." He looked thrilled to know that.

"What worries me is that people have seemed to have completely disregarded the statue of secrecy." Minerva said sharply.

"I agree, something big must have happened for a lot of people to walk around in their regular clothes."

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes --- the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion.**

"Wrong-o." Sirius sung.

**He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald green cloak!**

All the students looked at Dumbledore, who chuckled and kept reading.

**The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt --- these people were obviously collecting for some thing . . . yes, that would be it.**

"Well he is partly right we do seem to be gathering for something." Lily said. Remus nodded in agreement.

**Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills. Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did;**

Albus and Minerva shared a look wondering what could have been going on.

**They pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

"Git." James mumbled

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed.**

"Don't worry we won't bite unless provoked then we hex." Alice said with a smile.

**He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"**The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard –"**

"**---yes, their son Harry---"**

Everyone in the room started to pay even more attention.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him,**

"He's so rude Lil." Alice told her friend.

"Believe me I know." She said with a frown.

**Seized his telephone,**

Many people turned to Lily for an explanation. She sighed.

"It's a device where you dial a number to speak to someone. You hold one end up to your ear and you can talk to people on it. That the best way I know how to explain it."

"Amazing" Arthur said and he got a big smile.

"No." Molly told her husband with a glare. He groaned.

**And had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking . . . no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

"It is the wizarding world, there is only one Potter family." James informed them.

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey or Harold.**

Lily glared at the book. He doesn't even care about his nephew enough to know his name.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her --- if he'd had a sister like that . . . but all the same, those people in cloaks . . . ****He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door****. **"**Sorry," he grunted.**

"Wait a minute, the whale really apologized." Sirius asked. "The world must be ending." There was some chucking from everyone in the room.

**as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last!**

"WHAT!" was the collective response from every one in the group.

"I don't believe it he's gone?" Remus asked.

"I would appear so Mr. Lupin." Albus stated not quite believing what he just read.

"Yeah!" Came the cry from James and Sirius. "Firewhiskey all around." Sirius yelled. Minerva fixed him with such a glare that he imediatiely sat back down. "I mean pumpkin juice. A nice cold refreshing glass of pumpkin juice." He said soberly. Regulus was grateful his brother took the spotlight as he grabbed his left arm. He hoped no one noticed and no one did.

"We should probably start reading again." Minerva suggested. Everyone nodded eager to hear more.

**Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!" **

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination. **

"How can you not approve of imagination?" Lily said shaking her head.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw-and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes. **

Frank grinned at Sirius who looked away quickly

"**Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. **

Frank gave Sirius a triumphant smile and every one laughed.

"It means nothing I'm sure there are plenty flea bitten cats that glare at you." Though he didn't sound sure.

"What was that Mr. Black?" Minerva asked raising an eyebrow. James chuckled as Sirius sank low into his chair.

"Headmaster would you please continue before Black wets himself." Severus said dryly. Albus chuckled and read on.

**Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. **

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!").**

"Brat."

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: **

"**And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?" **

"**Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight." **

"People are becoming very careless. It doesn't matter if his gone if muggles figure out we exist." Minerva said stiffly.

"That would be amazing though." Arthur exclaimed thinking how much they could learn from them.

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…**

"This just proves my point." Minerva said leaning back in her chair.

"It's quite sad that it's so obvious that Dursley realized it." James mumbled. He had only met Vernon Dursley once. Lets just say it had been a long two hours.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

"Bad move Dursley, my sister won't like that." Lily told the book.

"Lils you do realize that you're talking to a book?" Sirius said with a smile.

"I'm aware of the fact Sirius."

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister. **

"Told you." Lily whispered to James.

"**No," she said sharply. "Why?" **

"**Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today…" **

"_**So?**_**" snapped Mrs. Dursley. **

"**Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do with… you know… **_**her **_**crowd." **

"Let me guess she means wizards?" Remus asked. Lily nodded.

"Well that's rude." Molly said. "Just because were wizards, not all of us are bad."

"Trust me; Petunia hates all things magic, good or evil. Ever since I became one." Lily told the older woman.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?" **

"**I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly. **

"**What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?" **

"**Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

James frowned at this.

"**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree." **

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something. **

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it. **

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters **_**were **_**involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind… He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over - it couldn't affect **_**them**_**… **

**How very wrong he was. **

"That does not bode well for us." Albus predicted.

Every one collectively nodded.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

"Why are sitting on the wall all day Professor?" Frank asked. Minerva smiled slightly.

"You don't know that it's me Mr. Longbottom."

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed. **

"Give up yet Sirius?" Frank asked with a grin.

"No." He pouted.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.**

"That has to be you Professor." James told him.

"But why are you both at my sister's?" Lily asked puzzled. Both Professor's shrugged.

**This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. **

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known." **

"Pay up."

"Nothing has been proven yet." Sirius stated though he started pulling out his wallet with a frown.

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement.**

"That's ingenious Professor did you make that?" Alice asked.

"I haven't made one yet so I guess we will have to see." He answered before reading again.

**Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. **

"**Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." **

"Pay up sucker." Frank told him and Sirius handed over the galleons regretfully.

"That's why you don't mess with cats Mr. Black." Minerva told him. James and Remus burst out laughing at their Professor's jokes. It was so rare to hear something like that from Profess McGonagall that every one was shocked.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked. **

"**My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly." **

"**You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall. **

"Which brings us back to the question, why were you sitting on the wall all day?" Severus asked surprising the group with his question.

"Your guess is as good as mine Mr. Snape."

"**All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." **

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. **

"**Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." **

**She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls… shooting stars… Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense." **

"It seems that you think the same way thing Professor." Lily told her teacher.

"**You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years." **

"Eleven years . . . So this happens in 4 years?" Remus asked. Albus nodded.

"**I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors." **

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really **_**has **_**gone, Dumbledore?" **

"**It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. **

"**We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

"A what?" asked all the purebloods in the room, Albus reading ahead didn't answer them.

"**A **_**what**_**?" **

"That's a little creepy." James remarked.

**A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of." **

"**No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops.**

"Minerva there is always time for lemon drops." Albus said seriously the students to chuckle at the glare the Deputy sent the Head.

**"As I say, even if You-Know-Who **_**has **_**gone -" **

"**My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: **_**Voldemort**_**."**

Molly, Arthur, Alice, Frank, Regulus and Minerva all fintched.

"You don't call him by his name Professor?" James asked shocked.

"I have my reasons for not saying his name Mr. Potter." Minerva shivered and Albus patted her arm sympathetically. No one decided to comment any further.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."**

"**I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, **_**Voldemort**_**, was frightened of." **

"**You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have." **

"**Only because you're too - well -**_**noble **_**to use them." **

"**It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." **

"Too much info Headmaster." James told him. Sirius examined the two of them closely.

"Is their something going here we should know about, because I feel we should keep no secrets from each other." Minerva started coughing choking on the sip of water she had just drank. Remus got up and moved next to Frank and Alice.

"Why did you move?" Sirius asked confused.

"I'm removing my self from the war area." Remus explained and at that moment Sirius relelized what he had said and stared at Minerva in fear.

"Please start reading Albus." She said glaring at Sirius.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the **_**rumors **_**that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" **

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer. **

"**What they're **_**saying**_**," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. **

"Why did he try to come find the Potters?" James worried asked pulling Lily closer to him. Albus who read ahead lost the twinkle in his eyes.

**The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - **_**dead**_**." **

Nothing had prepared them for that. Lily started crying and James held onto her tightly. Sirius and Remus looked shocked that their fellow Marauder would die so early in life. Minerva looked shocked that two of her favorite students would die so early. Severus was upset about Lily dieing, he really didn't care for James. Even Molly and Arthur felt said for the people that they just met. Alice got up and hugged her best friend her own face covered in tears.

Every one stayed quiet for a few minutes until James finally nodded to Albus to continue reading.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. **

"**Lily and James… I can't believe it… I didn't want to believe it… Oh, Albus…"**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know… I know…" he said heavily. **

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry****. **

"He better not have touched my son." Lily said already feeling material towards the son she had yet to have. James nodded in agreement.

**But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone." **

"How is that possible?" Regulus asked. He was the only one not upset to terribly by the news. Seeing as he never spoke more then two words towards Lily or James his whole life.

"We may never know." Albus told him.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly. **

"**It's - it's **_**true**_**?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done… all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding… of all the things to stop him… but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

"I'm sure we all want to know that."

"**We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know." **

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles.**

At this Lily got up and gave her teacher a hug, for all the unspoken things she would do in the future. Minerva returned the hug sadly.

**Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?" **

"**Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me **_**why **_**you're here, of all places?" **

"**I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now." **

"WHAT! No no no Headmaster don't you ever give Harry to my sister. She will hate him." Lily shouted.

"Please never take Harry there." James told him. "Harry will go to Sirius if we die, Sirius will be his godfather." Sirius cheered and Lily spun around.

"When did we decide this?" She demanded.

"I told Sirius he could be the godfather of my first child." James told her.

"I'm not sure how I feel about that." Lily responded.

"What why not Lily Flower." Sirius asked. The tension from a few moments ago temporally forgotten.

"How about Alice become godmother?" James suggested. Lily smiled.

"Fine," She said.

"Can I start reading again?" Albus asked. They all nodded.

**You don't mean - you **_**can't **_**mean the people who live **_**here**_**?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

"Thank you Professor McGonagall." Lily said.

**It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

"**A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?** **These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!" **

"**Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"He does have a point." Remus added weakly. James and Lily looked like they were about to say something, but Albus silenced them with his hand. 

"Lets refrain from pining something on me I haven't done yet. I think all of us should remember that." He said wisely. When no one answered he started reading again.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it. **

"**Hagrid's bringing him." **

"**You think it -**_**wise **_**- to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"I would trust Hagrid with my life." Albus said firmly.

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore. **

"That's weird." Alice said.

"**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?" **

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them. **

"Wicked." Sirius said.

"What's a motorcycle?" Arthur asked eagerly.

"A bike with a motor that goes fast." Lily explained.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so **_**wild **_**- long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"**Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?" **

"**Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

"Yes!!" Sirius cheered and Lily and Alice groaned.

"Just what we need Sirius with a death machine." Lily mumbled.

"**No problems, were there?" **

"**No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Aw, my baby." Lily cooed and James smiled proudly.

"**Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall. **

"**Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever." **

"**Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" **

"**Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. **

"Again too much information Headmaster." James told him seriously.

**Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with." **

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house. **

"**Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog****. **

"That's an insult to dog's every where." Sirius mumbled. Everyone decided to ignore him.

**Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!" **

"**S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it -Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -" **

"**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out. **

James and Lily felt touched that all three of them cared for them and their son.

"**Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations." **

"**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir." **

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. **

"**I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. **

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. **

"**Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone. **

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley… He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!"**

"That's the end." Albus announced. Every one was shocked at what they had read. They looked to Lily and James in concern. James grabbed Lily's hand.

"Will we be fine, we got these books so that we can change the future and we will change it." He said resolutely. Lily smiled gratefully at him.

"Who want's to read next?" Albus asked. Frank asked for the book.

"Chapter two the Vanishing Glass."

_**Hope that every one liked that I want to update this a lot, but my other story Cats in the Cradle will come first. But please review.**_


	3. The Vanishing Glass

_**Hello people. I hope you all like this story. That's really all I feel like saying. And thank you to the two or three reviews I had. Those mean a lot.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own J.K. Rowling's words or characters.**_

"**Vanishing Glass" **Arthur read once every one had quieted down.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls.** **Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets,**

Sirius smiled and bit back a laugh.

**but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too. **

"Maybe he's gone and someone came and got him." Lily said hopefully.

"Considering that the book is still talking about the Dursley's I doubt it Lils." Remus told her.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day. **

"**Up! Get up! Now!" **

"Ugh, that voice is a horrible thing to wake up to. Trust me I know." Lily told them remembering the mornings in elementary school when her sister had to wake her up.

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. **

"**Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. **

"He remembers my bike." Sirius said softly. He couldn't believe Harry could have remembered that. Even mentality with out realizing it.

**He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

"That's right son." James said proudly.

**His aunt was back outside the door. "Are you up yet?" she demanded. **

"**Nearly," said Harry. **

"**Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." **

James groaned.

**Harry groaned. **

"**What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door. **

"**Nothing, nothing…" **

**Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? **

"Can't really blame the kid for forgetting. Who would want to remember that brats birthday." Alice said with a smirk.

**Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on.**

**Harry was used to spiders,**

"Why is he used to spiders, clean freak Petunia wouldn't allow them in her house." Severus said quietly. Still not on board with being in the room with his arch enemies, but trying the regain a small bit of his friend ship with Lily.

**because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

"WHAT!" Screamed Lily, James, Molly, and Minerva. The other's stared at the book in shock.

"She made him sleep in the cupboard?!" Molly said scandalized.

"I am going to kill her." Lily huffed eyes narrowing in anger.

"Can we help?" All the marauders asked. While this happened Minerva turned and glared at Albus. She now agreed with her future self that Harry should never had been left there. Once Lily had calmed herself down she nodded to Arthur to continue.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. **

"How bag's the table?" Frank asked.

**It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted,**

Lily let out a low whistle.

"What?" James asked her.

"I don't know how much the times have changed but now a computer is huge and expensive, and you can't really do much. There only for big companies and government." She explained.

**not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, **

**as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry, **

Everyone just glared at the book.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. **

"No you get that from Potter Sr." Alice explained grinning at James who looked offended.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. **

James pulled out a piece of parchment and started writing every thing down that the Dursley's did to Harry.

**Harry had a thin face, knobby knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

"Ah the horrible Potter curse." Remus said lightly. Lily got a smile on her face.

"He has my eyes." She smiled at James softly and leaned against him.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. **

"**In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. **

"WE (They) did not die in a car CRASH!" Lily and Alice shouted coming to the aid of her friend. James scribbled another thing down.

**And don't ask questions." **_**Don't ask questions **_**— that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. "Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"Won't work." James said softly ruffling up his own hair.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place. **

"Part deux of the Potter curse." Sirius explained for everyone else.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel**

"Excuse me while I go throw up." Sirius said pretending to retch.

**Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

They all laughed at that.

"Looks like he inherited both of his parent's humor." Frank laughed.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell. **

"**Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

"Is he really complaining about 36 presents." Molly couldn't believe that. She had never heard of a child being this spoiled before.

"**Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy." **

"**All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

**Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. **

"Brat." They whispered.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, **

"**And we'll buy you another **_**two **_**presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin?" **

"_**Two **_**more presents. Is that all right?" Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…" **

"Stupid kid can't even add two numbers together." Minerva frowned.

**Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

"**Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then." Uncle Vernon chuckled. **

"**Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair. **

"Gee wonder where he gets it from." Regulus added surprising everyone as they had forgotten he was there.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. **

Arthur looked up and looked at Lily questioningly. She sighed.

"A remote control airplane is a tiny eletirc airplane that you can fly around. A camera can record things, and as for the VCR I believe they are talking of an invention by Philips, a company, who is trying to make it possible to show videos at home on the television, at the time it's very crude apparently, and it's expensive." Lily explained. Everyone nodded except for Sirius.

"How expensive are you talking?"

"600 pounds or 300 galleons." Arthur quickly started reading again before any one could comment.

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. **"**Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him."**

**She jerked her head in Harry's direction. Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. **

James continued to write onto the parchment in anger. Albus was slienct during this discussion, though he could not understand why he would disobey Lily and James's wishes and place Harry in a place like this.

**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"**We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

"Who's Marge?" Frank asked in confusion. No one had an answer.

"**What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?" **

"Ug I hate Yvonne, she is just as bad if not worse then Tuney." Lily told them.

"**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia. **

"**You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer). Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. **

"**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled. **

"He's not going to blow up the house." James said glaring.

"That would be great revenge though." Sirius included.

"**I won't blow up the house," said Harry, **

**but they weren't listening.**

"**I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "… and leave him in the car…"**

"You can get arrested for that Petunia." Lily shouted.

"You can?" Alice asked. Lily nodded.

**but they weren't listening.**

**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…" Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

"Brrraatt." Sirius sang.

"**Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. **

"**I… don't… want… him… t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. **

James, Sirius and Remus looked up and shared a look. That sounded just like Peter, except for the scrawny part.

**Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. **

"Ha ha ha not a momma's boy in front of your friends are you?" James said with a smirk.

"Neither are you James." Remus said with a smile. Lily laughed, James was a big momma's boy.

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside. **

"**I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas." **

"Try it I dare you." Lily hissed.

**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…" But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did. The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

"It seems like we are going to hear about young Mr. Potter's first uses of accidental magic." Albus said with a smile.

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar."**

"Won't work Sirius tried that once." James said with a smile. Sirius had decided during their 3rd year that he wanted to shave James' precious hair. When James was asleep he shaved it all off and went to bed feeling accomplished. The next day awoke with a full head of hair.

**Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.**

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he **_**couldn't **_**explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

James rubbed Lily's back to try and calm her down. Lily couldn't believe how much she cared for the son she hadn't even had yet.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). **

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn'tAunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished. **

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.**

"Did he apparate?" Remus asked the crowd. "I've near heard of any one apparating that young, even by accident."

"It seems young Mr. Potter will have many surprises for us."

**Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. **

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

"Come on Harry couldn't you think of a better excuse then that?" Sirius complained.

"As amusing as your little comments are, I would like to finish the chapter before the end of the year." Minerva said sharply.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles. "roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them. **

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying." **

"Oh Harry." The girls moaned.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream." But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas. **

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. **

"That was nice of her." Lily remarked not at all as afraid of Professor McGonagall as the boys were.

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond. **

They all laughed at Harry sense of humor.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first. Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

"When you talk like that of course something is going to happen." Alice said sarcastically. Arthur was thinking how nice it would be to get a magical zoo started.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls.**

"Just like the Slytherin common room, how appropriate." Sirius said with a smirk. Severus looked over in shock.

"How do you know our common room looks like?"

"You forget that Sirius and I were raised by very pro Slytherin parents. They told us all about the common room as children." Regulus explained.

**Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. **

"**Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge. "Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. **

"**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house. The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. **_**It winked.**_

"What?" They asked confused.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "**_**I get that all the time." **_

**I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. **

"Oh my gosh my son's a parseltongue." James said in shock. Remus turned to Albus.

"Isn't that a hereditary trait though?" Albus nodded.

"Very curious." The headmaster wondered.

"**It must be really annoying." The snake nodded vigorously. **

**Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked. The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. **

"**Boa Constrictor, Brazil. **

**Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. **

"**Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?" As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. **

"**DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!" Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could. **

"**Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

"Wicked." All the boys exclaimed.

"Please don't get in trouble, please don't get in trouble." Lily mumbled.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, **

"_**Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo." **_**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. **

"Well can you blame him the glass completely disappeared and for a muggle that would shock them." Molly said.

"**But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?" The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?" **

"Oh no." Lily moaned.

"Knew it was to good to be true." James mumbled.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals,"**

They all glared at the book now.

"Ugh why is Petunia punishing him? She knows about accidental magic, I had a few outbreaks as a child." Lily took the quill from James and added this to the ever growing list.

**before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food. **

"A true marauder." Sirius said lightly.

"Just what we need." Minerva moaned.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. **

**Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. **

They all shuddered not able to believe that a baby could survive the curse that killed so many.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house. When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. **

**Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. **

"Careless fools." Minerva mumbled.

**After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word**

**The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. **

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"Who would even like Dudley's gang." Frank mumbled. "Who even has a gang at 11."

"Dudley apparently." Severus said snarkly causing Lily to frown in his direction.

"That's the end." Arthur announced holding up the book.

"Can I read next?" Regulus asked. He had no idea why he was enculded with this group but he did want to know what happened next. He thought all the muggle stuff was actually very interesting. Arthur handed him the book.

"Wait before we start does anyone need any thing?" Minerva asked. When everyone had shook their heads she nodded to Regulus to start.

"Chapter 3 Letter's from no one."

_**Thank you for my few reviews. I got a lot more story alerts. So leave reviews please if you don't tell what you think I don't know if I should continue with this story or not.**_


	4. Letters from no One

_**I'm very glad so many people like this story so much. I will be able to update more once school is over. Also I will try to fix the problems with how the story was set up format wise. What I do is type the story part first and then add the past people so maybe this messes it up a bit. I'll try to fix it.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**_

Regulus picked up the book and read the chapter title.

**Letters From No One**

"Oh yea! Harry must be getting his Hogwarts letter." Lily proclaimed proudly.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started**

"They better had let him go to school." Lily growled. James patted her back.

"I'm sure someone would have questioned him not being at school Lils." He reassured her.

**and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

Albus winced at that, he hadn't made it known that he knew Mrs. Figg. She was Mr. Filch's sister and unlike her brother had no qualms about magic or any real desire to try magic. She had accepted she was a squib unlike her brother. It had actually been Mrs. Figg who Albus had first wanted as the care taker at Hogwarts. But she had wanted to stay in the muggle world with her now dead husband, so she introduced him to her brother Mr. Filch, who although hating children, had always longed to go to Hogwarts.

**Harry was glad school was over, but here was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry **Hunting.

The marauders made a slight threatening sound that sounded like a growl.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope.**

"Yeah you're going to Hogwarts Harry!" James shouted happily.

"He doesn't know that yet Potter." Alice said with a smirk.

**When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.**

Sirius laughed. "What kind of name is Smeltings?"

"What type of name is Hogwarts?" Remus said wisely causing Sirius to glare.

**Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.**

"**They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

"**No, thanks." Said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick." **

There was a round of laugher from the marauders.

**Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

"Chances are he won't be able to figure it out." Severus remarked.

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. **

"Nerds." Sirius said gleefully causing many in the room to roll their eyes.

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

"Since when is giving boy's sticks to hit each other, good training for life." Minerva said stiffly.

"Well Hogwarts gives you wands, in some ways that's worse isn't it?" Frank said. Minerva choose not to answer him.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins,**

"Ickle Dudleykin" James laughed. "That will never get old."

**he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked form trying not to laugh.**

"That's my boy." James said grinning.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.**

"**What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.**

"**Your new school uniform," she said.**

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

"**Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet"**

There was another round of laughter from the kids.

"It seems young Mr. Potter has Lily's sense of humor." Remus remarked earning a smile from Lily.

"**Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

"Really Tuney? I know she doesn't want to spend any money on my son but it would have been less of a hassle to go and buy a uniform instead of dyeing one." Severus nodded in agreement with Lily. Not noticing James had started glaring at him.

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High – like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell form Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**The heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

Everyone sat up eagerly in anticipation.

"**Get the mail, Dudley." Said Uncle Vernon form behind his paper.**

"Wait a minute he's going to make Dudley get it?" Remus said confused. Regulus continued.

"**Make Harry get it."**

"**Get the mail, Harry." **

"That makes much more since for Vernon." Remus finished.

"**Make Dudley get it."**

"**Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."**

**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for Harry.**

"WOO!" the marauders and Alice cheered.

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives - he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake.**

**Mr. H. Potter**

**The cupboard under the Stairs **

**4 Privet Drive**

**Little Whinging**

**Surrey**

"Wait a minute, if Hogwarts knew where Harry slept why didn't anyone do anything about it?" Lily asked the two professors angrily.

"All the letters are done by a self moving quill based on the information held in a giant book. The book holds a list of all magical children and where they are. All I do is add my signature at the bottom of every letter." Minerva explained. All the students nodded and Lily looked slightly chided.

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his and trembling, Harry was a purple was seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.**

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts Hoggy Warty Hogwarts." James and Sirius started singing only to be met by a glare from Professor McGonagall.

"**Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.**

"What's a bomb?" Arthur asked to his wife's distain. Lily sighed.

"Because I have a feeling there will be a lot more questions like this why doesn't every one write down any muggle questions and I'll answer them at the end of the book." Lily explained. "That way we can get though the book before school ends."

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

"**Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk. . ." **

"**Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

"Oh no! Shut up you pig." Sirius moaned.

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"**That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

"Yeah you tell him Harry." The boys cheered.

"**Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.**

"**P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

"It seems they forgot what would happen the year before Harry left for secondary school."

**Dudley tired to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

"**Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"**

"Why are they both acting as if the letter is a death threat?" Molly asked.

"Probably because in Petunia's eyes it is." Severus informed them causing everyone to look between Lily and Severus.

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.**

"Yes good pig, hit him again." Sirius said smiling. James threw his list in the fire. He already had filled a page against the Dursleys and just decided it would be better just to get a broad revenge.

"**I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

"**I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."**

"**Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

"**I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**

Regulus shouted it just like it was written causing every one to look at him in shock.

"That's how it's written in the book." He said meekly. Everyone nodded in understanding. Alice got an evil little grin.

"Harry might look like James but it seems like he's inherited Lily's humor and temper." Lily glared at her friend but James and Sirius nodded in agreement.

"**Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.**

"**OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; **

"I hope Harry doesn't get hurt." Molly shared.

**Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.**

"**Vernon." Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address – how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?" **

"**Watching – spying – might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

"We don't waste our time watching muggles." Minerva leaning back in her seat.

"**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want—**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

"**No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer… Yes, that's best… we won't do anything…"**

Minerva and Albus shared a look of amusement. They both knew what would happen if someone that wasn't muggleborn didn't answer the letter.

"**But-"**

"**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

"Stamp out that nonsense? You can't stomp out magic." Regulus said. "Can you?" He asked Albus as an after thought.

"Not that I know of Mr. Black."

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

"He fit?" Frank asked in shock.

"**Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

"**No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly "I have burned it."**

"**It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

"**SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

"**Er - yes, Harry – about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking… you're really getting a bit big for it… we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom.**

"Did he just say Dudley has a second bedroom but Harry has to sleep in a cupboard!" James shouted. Lily fidgeted next to him in anger.

"**Why?" said Harry.**

"**Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned form the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.**

"Pity." Minerva said softly.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't want him in there… I need that room… make him get out…"**

"Brat."

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

"It's okay baby Hogwarts never takes no for an answer." Lily told the book.

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise though the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

**When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, the Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive—"**

"Will the letters keep changing?" Arthur asked the professors. They both nodded yes.

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt form his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. **

"Come on Harry fight him back tell he what's what." James and Sirius cheered. Lily and Alice shared a look.

"Boys."

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand. **

"**Go to your cupboard – I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley - go - just go."**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

**The repaired alarm clock rang a six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door -**

"That's not a bad plan really." Remus thought.

"**AAAAARRGH!"**

Everyone jumped again and stared at Regulus.

"What I can't help it there's a lot of yelling in this chapter."

**Harry leapt into the air, he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something alive!**

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face.**

"HAHAHAHA" the marauders laughed.

"Serves that walrus right."

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to de. He shouted at Harry for half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

"**I want -" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.**

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

"**See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."**

"It's not going to work." Albus said with a smile.

"**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."**

"**Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.**

"You know for a man who works at a drill company, you would think he would have a drill or hammer at this house." Lily remarked.

**On Friday, no less then twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Though the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

"That's a clear sign that you're going senile in your old age." Sirius told the book.

"He's not much older than you Sirius," Lily said with a smile.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.**

"Who thinks of putting the letters in stuff like that?" Severus quietly asked the professors. Albus turned and grinned at Minerva.

"No way, Minnie you do it? I had no idea you had a sense of humor." James said with a smile.

"Call me Minnie again and you'll see how far my humor goes." James blanched and hid behind Lily.

"**Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

"**No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today -"**

"There's no post on Sundays in the muggle world?" Arthur repeated. "Simply fascinating."

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. **

"Wicked."

**The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one –**

"**Out! OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the wall and floor.**

"**That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tuffs out of this mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

"Is it really that bad? You would think they would be happy that Harry will be gone all year." Molly said. "I'll never understand muggles."

**He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffing in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.**

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

"**Shake'em off… shake'em off." He would mutter whenever he did this.**

"Going senile." Sirius sung.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. **

"That's an insult to dogs every where." Sirius moaned.

"Cats are better." Minerva challenged.

**He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering…**

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold trimmed tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

"**Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk." **

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:  
**

**Mr. H. Potter**

**Room 17**

**Railview Hotel**

**Cokeworth**

"That's crazy; you must have been up all night signing those Professor." James commented.

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

"**I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

"**Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened din the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

"**Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car and disappeared.**

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.**

"**It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television."**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday - and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television – then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday. **

"Aw my baby's going to be eleven." Lily cooed. James smiled proudly and Molly had a thought.

"I wonder if were going to meet anyone else's children, like Arthur's and mine."

"Maybe" Frank said sharing a smile with Alice, they were both hoping they had children.

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun - last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. **

"I am seriously going to kill Petunia." Lily said darkly.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, think package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd brought.**

"**Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain; there was no television in there.**

"Is the man crazy, that can't be safe." Minerva stated angrily.

"**Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.**

"**I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.**

"**Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" He said cheerfully.**

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

"By this time I'm sure some one will actually come find them. That's what we do when muggleborns don't respond to the letters." Albus explained to all of them.

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattle the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

"Lily calm down." James said softly rubbing her back. She hadn't said anything but she was getting tense had pulled her wand out.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

"Hopefully at home asleep." Minerva responded.

"Considering it's you Professor you probably are."

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

"Don't you dare wish that Harry James Potter it would hurt you more then any thing else." Lily scolded him.

"Harry James?" James asked with a smile. Lily blushed.

"Well you have to admit that it flows well."

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds…twenty…ten…nine – maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him**

"Please do." Sirius said eagerly.

**- three… two… one…**

**BOOM.**

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Regulus announced.

"It seems we were right about sending someone." Albus said.

"Wonder who?" Lily asked. And the boys turned to look at Minerva.

"Call me crazy but I don't think it's me." Minerva told them.

"Only one way to find out. Who wants to read next?" Regulus asked. Remus raised his hand and took the book.

"Chapter 4 The Keeper of the keys"

"Well that answers that question." Lily said.

_**Yea! I updated hope everyone likes this chapter.**_


	5. Keeper of the Keys

_**Yeah I updated so sorry it took so long, a vacation, family crap and it just took such a long time to copy the chapter over. I will try to update more.\**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**_

"So the person getting Harry is Hagrid?" Lily asked the professors.

"So it seems which is odd Hagrid doesn't normally make trips, he must really want to meet young Mr. Potter." Albus stated.

"It's a good choice Hagrid will show those Dursleys what's what." James said with a smirk. Remus rolled his eyes at his friends and started reading.

**The Keeper of the Keys**

**BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

"**Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly. **

"Why would there be a cannon on a rock in the middle of the sea?" Sirius asked.

"We've stated that the boy is stupid Sirius, now let me read."

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands- now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

"Ha! A rifle stands no chance against Hagrid, he can twist it into a pretzel." James said eagerly.

"I don't think I've met Hagrid." Molly said. "He's the new game keeper right?"

"It's Rubeus, Molly you remember him don't you?" Minerva asked her.

"Oh yes I remember Rubeus, was he training to be game keeper then, I thought he was just an older student who like Care for Magical Creatures."

"As interesting as this background story about your age is could we please continue reading." Frank asked.

"**Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"**

**There was a pause. Then -**

**SMASH! **Sirius yelled over Remus' shoulder.

"Shut up Black." Alice yelled.

"It was in caps that means to yell it." He said in his defense.

"Well Lupin's reading so shut it."

**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long. Shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

"**Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"**

The boys laughed loudly at that and at Remus' poor interpretation of his accent.

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

**Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger. **

"Well done Hagrid." Sirius said with a grin.

"Shut up!" Lily yelled at him.

**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**

"**An' here's Harry!" said the giant.**

**Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

**Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby." Said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."**

"Aaaww." Lily cooed, making everyone stare at her.

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

"**I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

"Is it really breaking and entering when it's not your house?" Alice asked with a smirk. Lily groaned.

"Not you too."

"**Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

"**Anyway - Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right." **

**From an inside picket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.**

"Aw thank you so much Hagrid." Lily said softly, so only James heard her.

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"**

"Manners, Harry" Lily chided to the groups amusement.

**The giant chuckled.**

"**True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

**He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

"**What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

Minerva shook her head. "Oh Hagrid your on a work job, you don't ask that."

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. **

Minerva and Albus shared a look of amusement.

**It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.**

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat; a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.**

"How much stuff can he fit in his pockets?" Frank asked in wonder.

"No idea, but what do you think he's drinking?" Sirius asked.

"I would hope Butterbeer since it's amber but you never know with Hagrid."

**Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the pokey, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

**The giant chuckled darkly.**

"**Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."**

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

"**Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o'course."**

"**Er - no," said Harry.**

"Hagrid won't like that." James noted.

**Hagrid looked shocked.**

"**Sorry," Harry said quickly.**

"**Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't getting' yeh letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**

"Now this will be interesting, I bet most wizards expect the Dursleys to have told Harry everything." Lily said.

"Not to mention Hagrid is fiercely loyal and hopefully will do something to the Dursley's." James said with a smirk.

"**All what?" asked Harry.**

"**ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"**

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. **James was chuckling evilly in the background.

"**Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy - this boy! - knows nothin' abou' -about ANYTHING?"**

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

"HAHAHAHA, oh Harry that's great." Sirius said between laughs. "Only a first year would say something like that."

"**I know some things," he said "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

"Every mothers dream, he knows math and stuff." Lily said dryly.

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "about our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."**

"**What world?"**

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

"**DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like 'Mimblewimble.' Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**

"**But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."**

"We're famous?" Lily and James said together, getting confused looks from every one. "Don't tell me we're famous because we got killed."

"**What? My - my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

"**Yeh don' know… yeh don' know…" Hagird ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

"**Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.**

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

"**Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

"**You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

"Come on Hagrid do something to them."

"**Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.**

"**STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

"Is it really that big a deal?" Alice asked shocked. Arthur nodded in agreement.

"**Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry - yer a wizard."**

"Hooray!" The Marauders cheered.

**There was a silence inside the gut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

"**I'm a what?" gasped Harry.**

"**A wizard, o'course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good 'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, **

Lily and James blushed at the praise.

**what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**

**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**

**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Minerva McGonagall,**

**Deputy Headmistress**

"Mine said the exact same thing." James said proudly making everyone groan.

"Mr. Potter don't make me give you detention, for acting like Mr. Black." Minerva said causing the group to laugh and Sirius to look offended.

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

"**Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl **

"Oh that pour animal." Molly said with a frown.

"Really how much can he hold in that coat?" Frank said eagerly.

**- a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:**

**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**

**Given Harry his letter.**

**Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.**

**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.**

**Hagrid.**

" 'Hope you're well' won't Hagrid see you as soon as he gets back to Hogwarts and didn't he see you before?" Severus asked mildly curious.

"Well contrary to popular belief the teachers do go home during the summer." Albus told him.

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was a normal as talking on the telephone.**

"To wizards it is."

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

"**Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

"**He's not going," he said.**

"Look who got his voice back." Regulus said scowling.

**Hagrid grunted.**

"**I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him." He said.**

"**A what?" said Harry, interested.**

"**A muggle," said Hagrid, "It's what we call nonmagic folk like them. AN' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

"So true."

"**We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

"**You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a – a wizard?"**

"You tell them Sport." James said.

"**Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! OF course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that- that school – and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, tuning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

"How would Lily have been able to do magic at home?" Alice asked.

"I'm sure her sister is simply over reacting." Albus stated.

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

"**Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal - and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

"Lils are you okay?" James asked. Lily had hunched over as soon as Remus had started reading that section. She looked tears on her face.

"I never knew she felt that way. I assumed that she was always just mad she wasn't a witch. I didn't know that she thought mum and dad loved me more then her. When ever I was with them they were telling me of how much they were proud of both of us, Petunia for being the first in the family to graduate secondary school, and being accepted to the town college, and my being a witch. When she started being mean to me after my second year I just thought it was a phase, I ignored her, and I guess because I kept doing it every year, it seemed like I was acting like I was better then she was. She must have taken that as I was too good for the sister who had always let me play with her and go with her friends. No wonder she resents magic and later Harry, we were best friends until I got my letter. It's my entire fault." She cried.

"You don't know that Lily, your sister could have ended up like that anyway, but remember we're reading these to change the future so now that you know you can fix your friendship with Petunia." James reassured her. She nodded as he hugged her tightly. Every one sat in silence until she pulled back after a couple seconds.

"Thank you James, you can continue reading Remus, I'm sorry."

"No problem Lils." Remus said before continuing.

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**

"**CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knoin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

"I have a feeling Hagrid is going to get nasty soon." Sirius said eagerly trying to dispel the mood that had settled in the room.

"**But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**

His parents looked up too, they wanted to know the details, as the Dumbledore in the book had only graced the issue.

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

"**I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble getting' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh—but someone's gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."**

Everyone sat up in their chairs and looked anxiously at Remus to continue.

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**

"**Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"**

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows –"**

"**Who?"**

"**Well - I don't like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

"**Why not?"**

"**Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went…bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…"**

**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

"Come on Hagrid say it with me Vol-de-mor-t." Sirius said stressing each section.

"**Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

"**Nah - can't spell it. All right - Voldemort." Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this - this wizard, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was getting' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horrible. One o' the only safe laces left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, nor jus'then, anyway.**

"**Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get'em on his side before… probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side."**

"Damn right we would never join Voldemort." James said proudly.

"**Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' - an' –"**

Their was silence for a couple seconds after this announcement.

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

"**Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer peopled yeh couldn't find – anyway…**

"**You-Know-Who killed 'em. AN' then – an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing – he tired to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just like killin' by then but he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh - took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even – but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill'em no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the beste witches an' wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts - an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

"Prewetts!" Molly said in anguish breaking everyone's silence. "Not my brothers." She said starting to cry. Lily and Alice were shocked as well. Mary McKinnon had only graduated last year and had been close to the younger girls.

**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw aagin the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before - and he remembered something else, for the first time in this life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.**

They all shuddered, the fact that Harry could remember all of that was horrific. Lily was crying freely again.

**Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

"**Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…"**

"**Load of old tosh." Said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Durselys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

"**Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured**

"I will kill you Dursley if you lay a hand on him." Lily yelled her nerves at their end.

**- and as for all this about your parents, well they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's a better place without them in my opinion - asked for all they got, getting mixed up with those wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a stickly end."**

"Say that again Dursley I dare you." James said darkly holding onto Lily.

Severus had been boiling at these words, although he didn't care for James, he did care for Lily and if it meant joining up with Potter to destroy Dursley it would be worth it.

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley – I'm warning you - one more word…"**

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

"Trust me Harry he wouldn't be speared by the umbrella, more like blown up." Alice said with a smile.

"**That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.**

**Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

"**But what happened to Vol-, sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"**

"Oh Harry don't get into that habit."

"**Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see… he was getting' more an' more powerful - why'd he go?"**

"**Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dummo if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his tikme, like, but I don' believe it, People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.**

"**Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on – I dunno what it was, no one does – but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**

Albus sat back in his chair and frowned. He had an ideabut wanted to wait they got further into the books to share his ideas.

**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

"**Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard." **

"I felt the same way sweetie." Lily whispered.

**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

"**Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

**Haryy looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it… every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry… chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach… dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back… and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

"That was more parseltongue accidental magic."

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

"**See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

"**Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish – spell books and wands and -"**

**If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagird, "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled-"**

"**I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

"Finally!" Sirius shouted making everyone look. "Not the saying you're a crackpot old fool Professor but now Hagrid will finally crack and do something." He said eagerly bouncing up and down in the seat.

"Sirius does the puppy need to pee?" Lily asked with a smirk. He stopped bouncing immediately.

"Prongs, you told her?" He said looking hurt.

"Sorry man it had to be done." He said smiling at Lily.

"Wait what did they tell you Lily?" Alice said eagerly looking for blackmail. "Tell me."

"I'm sorry Alice I'm sworn to secretly."

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER-" he thundered, " - INSULT - ALBUS - DUMBLEDORE - IN - FRONT - OF -ME!"**

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley - there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hold in his trousers.**

"Yes!." Sirius shouted in glee as everyone laughed. "In your face Dursley."

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

"**Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

That caused another round of laugher, and caused Minerva to shake her head.

"If Hagrid had been able to do that, I would have been surprised." She said thinking about how that was 6th year material.

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

"**Be gratefull if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speaking'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."**

"Ah, the covert motive has come out." Albus said with a smile.

"**Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

"**Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

"Hagrid was expelled? I thought he just had wanted to be gamekeeper." Lily said, the marauders nodded Hagrid had mentioned it to them briefly.

"Yes it is a rather sad story but as it is not my story to tell I will not tell you." Albus told them.

"Well that explains your comment Professor." Regulus said to Professor McGonagall.

"**Why were you expelled?"**

They looked up eagerly.

"**It's getting' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow." Said Hagrid loudly. **

The boys groaned.

"**Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

**He took off his thick black c oat and threw it to Harry.**

"**You can kip under that." He said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still go a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."**

"Really, how much can Hagrid keep in that coat?" Sirius said.

"It's a Mary Poppins coat." Lily said with a smile. Everyone gave her blank looks. "It's a muggle movie… oh never mind."

"Well that's the end who wants to read next?" Remus asked.

"Oh me!" James said. "Since the next chapter is probably Harry's trip to Diagon Alley."

_**Again sorry it took so long to update, but I went to the Harry Potter theme park. It was amazing the best theme park I think I've ever seen.**_


	6. Diagon Alley

_**Hey guys sorry this took so long but worked 47 hours last week and 36 the week before yesterday was my first day off in a long time. And I have band camp today. Anyway onto the story.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter though I will be at the midnight showing in November.**_

"Yes I was right this chapter is called Diagon Alley." James said eagerly.

"Well start Mister Potter, so that when we finish this chapter we can get something to eat." Minerva said leaning back into her chair.

"Can do Minnie." He said starting before she could yell

**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

**It was a dream, he told himself firmly. I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard. There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

**And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

"**All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."**

"He's so pessimistic." Lily mumbled sadly.

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him.**

"If there really was a balloon swelling inside of him, he wouldn't be happy." Alice said with a smile causing everyone to stare at her in wonder.

**He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

"**Don't do that."**

**Harry tired to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

"It just wants its money." Regulus said quietly.

"**Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl -"**

"**Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

"**What?"**

"**He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbus, teabags… finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

"**Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.**

"Hagrid he isn't going to know what Knuts are." Sirius said with a grin. "Duh."

"**Knuts?"**

"**The little bronze ones."**

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

"**Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school." **

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

"Poor balloon." Alice said. Every one stared at her and Frank.

"You get used to her." He said with a grin putting his arm around her.

"**Um- Hagrid?"**

"**Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

"**I haven't got any money - and you heard Uncle Vernon last night… he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."**

"Hey, don't worry Harry, you have the entire Potter fortune, when you turn 17 off course. But all Potters get a trust fund for Hogwarts.

"**Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

"**But if their house was destroyed-"**

"**They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts, Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold - an' I wouldn' say no to a bit o' yer birthday cake."**

"**Wizards have banks?"**

"**Just the one Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

"**Goblins?"**

"**Yeah – so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts in the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe – 'cept maybe Hogwarts. **

"That's not bad advice and it's probably true." Albus said with a smile.

"Albus you know Hogwarts is safer then Gringotts."

"You never know Minerva, Hogwarts has so many secrets even I don't know them all. We certainly don't have dragons like Gringotts is rumored to have."

"Gringotts has dragons?" James asked eagerly.

"I never said that Mr. Potter."

**As a matter o' face, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagride drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you – getting' things from Gringotts - knows he can trust me, see."**

Albus raised his eyebrows at that.

"**Got everythin'? Come on, then."**

**Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

"**How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat. **

"**Flew," said Hagrid.**

"Flew?"

"**Flew?"**

"**Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

"Were trying to imagine it too Harry don't worry." Sirius said. "Unless he used my bike then I could see it."

"Then where'd the bike go?" Lily asked archly.

"Leave me alone Evans."

"**Seems a shame ter now, though." Said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"**

"**Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

"**Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?"**

"**Spells - enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way – Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."**

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newpaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

"**Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

"**There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

"Course there is. Did he think there'd be no government?" Regulus asked.

"I think Harry's question was more of a shock. I don't think the thought had ever reached his mind before." Remus informed the younger Slytherin.

"**Course," said Hagrid. "they wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o'course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge go the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."**

"Isn't Fudge the stuffily Hugglepuff prefect who use to lord over every one." Frank asked in thought.

The marauders nodded, they spent much of their first and second years messing with him.

"**But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"**

"**Well their main job is to keep it form the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."**

"**Why?"**

"Really Harry you must have learned about the witch trails in school."

"Do they really learn that in muggle school?" Arthur asked.

Yeah, we learn about them in our history classes."

"**Why? Blimey, Harry everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."**

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newpaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "see that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"**

"Hagrid seems to be lacking a bit of tact."

"**Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?" **

"**Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."**

"Here we go." The professors mumbled to the students amusements.

"**You'd like one?"**

"**Wanted one ever since I was a kid – here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.**

"I never understood why wizards have such a hard time with muggle money it's not that difficult." Every stared at her. "Well it's true you have 1's, 5's, 10's the entire process is just simple addition."

"I agree Lily muggle money is easier." Severus said quietly causing them to stare at him.

"I will truthfully tell you I didn't understand any of that Evans." Frank said with a guilty smile. She just sighed and waved James to continue.

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.**

"**Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

"**Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."**

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:**

"Do we really have to read the school list?" Sirius said groaning.

"Yes were going to be read it completely." Lily said firmly. James looked between the two nervously. They both turned to stare at him.

"Who are you going to pick James?" Sirius said darkly, to the room's amusement. Lily looked up and smiled at him.

"Don't you want to read your son's Hogwarts list James." She said sweetly. He groaned and picked up the book.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

Lily sent Sirius a smug smile, to which he pouted.

**UNIFORM**

**First-year students will require:**

**Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear. **("Though no one ever wears them.")

**One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar) ** ( "Mine aren't dragon.")

**One winter cloak (black, sliver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags **("Again something no one ever wears.")

**COURSE BOOKS**

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The standard book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot **

**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch **("So are your still here McGonagall", "We already established Black remember.")

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spare**

**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenian Jigger **("We have a different book now. Slughorn must not be there now.")

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander **("Never understood why this book was on the first year list.")

**The Dark Forces: A guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trumble **("Another new book.")

**OTHER EQUIPMENT**

**1 wand**

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) **("I wanted a gold one")

**1 set of glass or crystal phials**

**1 telescope set**

**1 brass scales **("Anyone else realize that half the supply list is for potions.")

**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad **("Why'd you stress the or.", "because it's capitalized.")

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**

"**Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.**

"**If yeh know where to go." Said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.**

"**I don't know how the Muggles mange without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops, and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even thought everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

"**This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. **

"That's because there are charms on the outside of the Leaky Cauldron that prevent Muggles from noticing it." Minerva said slipping into her teaching voice.

**The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pope. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. **

The marauders snickered at the description of the bartender.

**The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid, they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying. "the usual, Hagrid?" **

"**Can't Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business." Said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

"Oh, no he didn't."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"Well, if Harry was recognized in the muggle world by a couple wizards, imagine how it will be in the wizard world."

"**Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this - can this be -?"**

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

"Told you." Remus said smugly.

"**Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender. "Harry Potter… what an honor." **

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

"**Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."**

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

"Wow."

"**Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

"**So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

"**Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter."**

"**Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

"**I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."**

Minerva turned to Albus and whispered. "I win."

"**He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again - Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching. **

"**Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Porfessor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."**

"**P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."**

"Quillius Quirrel? He never stammered like that before. He was quite the model student." Minerva said.

"Well he was always good at Defense against the Dark Arts."

"**What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

"**D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

The professors shared a look of awe.

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

"**Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."**

**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid let them throught the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.  
**

"**Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh y ou was famous Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh – mind you, he's usually trembling."**

"**Is he always that nervous?" **

"**Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject -now, where's me umbrella?"**

**Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

"**Three up… two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider – a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!" They cheered.

"**Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."**

"I can't wait to go to Diagon Alley with our sons." Molly said with a smile.

"When does your oldest come to Hogwarts?" Minerva asked.

"Bill is 8 now so he'll go in 3 years."

**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped though the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons -All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Sliver - Self-stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.**

"**Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."**

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying. "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"**

"They are mad! It's only 7 Sickles now." Severus said outraged. Lily and the Professors laughed knowing how much the boy loved potions.

**A low, soft hooting cam from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever –"**

"Really so the Nimbus company took off." Sirius said eagerly. "James…"

"Already taken care of Padfoot, I'll send an owl first thing in the morning."

"What are you two going on about?" Frank asked. Remus explained.

"James was asked by the Nimbus Company if he would invest in the company. He didn't at the time because he thought Cleansweep had to big of a hold on the franchise."

"Potter doesn't need any more money." Alice said leaning back in her seat. "But if you ever want to start handing it out, let me know." She finished with a grin.

**There was shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows cracked with barrels of hat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…**

"**Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was –**

"**Yeah, that's a goblin." Said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

"Do we have to read this?" Sirius complained.

_**Enter, stranger, but take heed**_

_**Of what awaits the sin of greed, **_

_**For those who take, but do not earn,**_

_**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**_

_**So if you seek beneath our floors**_

_**A treasure that was never your,**_

_**Thief, you have been warned, beware**_

_**Of finding more than treasure there.**_

"So subtle, Goblins." Arthur said with sarcastic grin.

"**Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.**

**A pair of goblins bowed them though the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

"**Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter make some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."**

"**You have his key, sir?"**

"**Got it here somewhere,"**

"Oh dear, I hope he didn't lose it." Lily said worried.

**said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

"**Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

"**That seems to be in order."**

"**An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."**

"Ah the plot thickens." Albus said cheerfully.

"What's in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Regulus asked.

"I would guess the Philosophers Stone." James said to everyone's amazement. "That's what it says on the cover." He said showing it too them.

"Well I guess since you guessed there's no need to lie. You're correct Mr. Potter."

"What's the Philosophers Stone?" Frank asked.

"I'm sure if we keep reading Mr. Longbottom we shall find out."

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

"**Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

**Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

"**What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.**

"**Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

**Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in - Hagrid with some difficulty - and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering. **

"I love the Gringotts carts, there like a giant rollercoaster." Lily said with a smile.

"Rollercoaster?" Arthur asked.

"Muggle thing." She said with a sigh.

**Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late - they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

"**I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"**

"There's a difference?"

"**Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."**

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**

"Dang Potter. Is your mom adopting?"

"Alice!" Lily cried.

"Yeah she already adopted me though Alice." Sirius said with a smile.

"Oh gosh, never mind."

"**All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's - it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known a bout this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

"Don't you love irony?" Remus said.

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

"**The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. **

"Does every one here realize that that's 493 Knuts to a Galleon. How did they even come up with that?" Lily said defending her earlier statement. Most of the boys ignored her.

**Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

"**One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

"**Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

"Cool."

"**If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked though the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

"**How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.**

"**About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

"Goblins and their sadistic humor."

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least - but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

"**Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid. **

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life – more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

"**Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

"**Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."**

"Oh good Harry might make a friend." Lily said with a big smile causing everyone to roll their eyes.

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

"**Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"**

"**Yes," said Harry.**

"**My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. **

"Shouldn't he be there to get his wand?"

**He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I' smuggle it in somehow."**

"Brat, Harry don't be friends with him." James advised.

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

"Good boy."

"**Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

"**No," said Harry.**

"**Play Quidditch at all?"**

"**No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

"Oh, all my dreams crushed." James said dramatically.

"**I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"**

"**No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

"**Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"**

"There is nothing wrong with Hufflepuff." Arthur said. "I have quite a few friends that were in Hufflepuff."

"**Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

"**I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

"**That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boys didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

"**Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"**

"**He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.**

"**Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage - lives in a hut o n the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."**

"**I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

"Good boy stand up to him." Sirius encouraged.

"**Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"**

"**They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

"**Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"**

"**They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."**

"**I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"**

"Well little boy his mother is one of the other sort. So stop talking and leave Harry along."

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "that's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

"**Well, I'll see you at Hgowarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

**Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts). **("Egh.")

"**What's up?" said Hagrid.**

"**Nothing." Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said. "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

"**Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know - not knowin about Quidditch!"**

"**Don't' make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

"**- and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in –"**

"**Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were - he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles - look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"**

"So true."

"**So what is Quidditch?"**

"**It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like – like soccer in the Muggle world - everyone follows Quidditch – played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls - sorta hard ter explain the rules."**

"No it's not." James said looking shocked.

"**And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"**

"**School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but -"**

"**I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.**

"**Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."**

"That's prejudiced, not all Slytherin's are bad." Regulus said softly. Severus nodded next to him.

"**Vol-, sorry – You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"  
**

"**Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.**

**They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather, books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian. **

"I have that book." James told them.

"I'm not surprised."

"**I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley." **

"**I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in ver special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level." **

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visisted the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls, bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

Severus scoffed again.

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

"**Just yer wand left – A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present." **

**Harry felt himself go red.**

"**You don't have to -"**

"**I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at - an' I don't like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'." **

"Aw that's sweet of Hagrid."

"Especially since Hogwarts doesn't pay him that much."

"Really?"

"Well he gets free board and food."

"True."

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

"**Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now—only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand… this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.**

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. **

"Was Diagon Alley even around in 382 B.C.?"

"No."

"Where was it?"

"Read your history book, Mr. Longbottom." Minerva told him.

**A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on the wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

"**Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

"**Hello," said Harry awkwardly.**

"**Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."**

"That's creepy." Lily said staring at the book.

"He always says what the parent's wands were. I suppose we'll hear mine next."

**Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

"**Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. **("See.") **Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course." **

**Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

"**And that's where…"**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lighting scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

"**I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"**

**He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

"**Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

"Wow 16 inches, Hagrid had a long wand."

"**It was, sir, yes." Said Hagrid.**

"**Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

"**Er - yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

"**But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.**

"**Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

"**Hmmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now - Mr. potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

"**Er - well, I'm right-handed," said Harry. **

"**Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. **

"I bet he only measures for show." Sirius said recalling how the tape measure had wrapped his legs together making him fall.

**As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."**

**Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

"**That will do," he said and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible, just take it and give it a wave."**

**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

"**Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try –"**

**Harry tried - but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

"**No, no - here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."**

**Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tired wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

"**Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. **

**Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"**

"**Sorry," said Harry. "but what's curious?"**

**Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.**

"**I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave you that scar."**

"What!"

"Does that mean that he shares a part of Voldemort?" Lily asked nervously.

"We can't know, but that does make logical since." Albus said.

"That's why Harry's a parselmouth isn't it."

"It seems so, it is possible that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry when he attacked." Albus finished. The fact that Harry's wand had Fawkes feather in it was an amazing.

**Harry swallowed.**

"**Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things form you, Mr. Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great."**

**Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from this shop.**

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back though the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.**

"**Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves." He said. **

**He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everythign looked so strange, somehow.**

"I felt that way when I left Diagon Alley for the first time as well."

"**You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.**

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life - and yet - he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

"**Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander… but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-,sorry - I mean, the night my parents died."**

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

"**Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts - I did -still do, 'smatter of face,"**

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope. **

"**Yer ticket fer Hogwarats," he said, "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me… See yeh soon, Harry."**

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.**

"Apparation?" James guessed.

"I suppose so." Remus said.

"That's the end who wants to read next?"

"I will Mr. Potter." Minerva said reaching for the book. "But first I believe it's time for lunch shall we had to the great hall." They nodded and filed out of the room rushing down to the great hall.

_**It took a long time but this chapter is finally out. And I'm almost done typing the next chapter up. So please review.**_


	7. Jouney to Platform 9 and 34

After they came back from lunch and taking care to make up an excuse for where they had been all day (it varied for all) they settled back down in the room of requirement.

"Ah, I think your all going to like this chapter." Minerva said picking up the book.

"Why?"

"It's called Journey to platform nine and three quarters."

"Maybe we'll see some of our kids Arthur." Molly said excited.

"You're planning on having more?" Sirius said staring.

"Yes, and even if we don't, we don't know the year this takes place exactly, Percy and Charlie might be in Hogwarts." She said.

"Are you done?" Minerva asked and started.

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him - in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. **

"That seems a lot better then it had been before." Sirius said.

"Yeah at least they aren't treating him like a house elf now." Lily mumbled sadly.

**Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.**

"How, at my house I'd love to be ignored." Sirius said bitterly. Regulus looked away nervously. 

"For most people being ignored for a month isn't fun." Remus said rolling his eyes.

**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting. **

"Oh thank you." Minerva said with a smile. "Don't be like your father." James looked insulted.

"You know very well I am one of your best students."

"Yes but if you would apply yourself a little more in every other class, you would be a much better student."

**He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

**On the last day of August he though he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. **

"He waited till the last minute? Your hopes gone Professor, he's just like James." Alice said with a grin.

**He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

The boys all laughed loudly.

"**Er - Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

"**Er - I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

"**Would it be alright if you gave me a lift?"**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.**

"**Thank you." **

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

"**Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"**

"Is he crazy, their illegal." Regulus said shocked. No one cared to inform him muggles wouldn't know that.

**Harry didn't say anything.**

"**Where is this school, anyway?"**

"**I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled out the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.**

"**I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.**

**His aunt and uncle stared.**

"**Platform what?"**

"**Nine and three-quarters."**

"**Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."**

"Petunia knows where the platform for is, she came with me my first year." Lily said furiously.

"**It's on my ticket."**

"**Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

"**Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

"**Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."**

"Thank you Hagrid." James muttered gratefully.

**Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes **

"Smart boy, there's always one who does that."

"They normally get picked on, on the train." James said solemnly.

"Wasn't Peter the one in our year?" Frank asked. The marauders grinned.

"How else do you think we met him."

**- he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.**

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

"Oh no." Lily moaned.

"Stupid muggle."

"**Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.**

"Go through the wall Harry, oh why didn't Hagrid tell him how to get on the platform."

"Lily stop talking and we'll find out what happens." Alice said with a smile.

"**have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing. Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.**

**He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. **

"Why would you be that stupid on purpose?" Remus asked Lily who sighed.

"I don't know about this time period, but sometimes teenage boys will go up and ask guards stupid questions just to mess with them."

"Why?" James asked.

"Well maybe you can answer this Mr. Potter, why do you always ask stupid question whenever I ask you about homework?" Minerva asked him. He didn't answer her. "I thought so, now let me finish reading."

**Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.**

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.**

"Please don't."

"That happened one year too." Minerva said darkly.

"Oh, stop Minerva that was a good year." Albus said with a chuckle.

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"**- packed with Muggles, of course-"**

"Thank heavens wizards." Lily said happily.

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him - and they had an owl.**

They all turned to look at the Weasleys.

"How many kids do you have?" Remus asked.

"3 boys right now. Oh Arthur do you think that, that's our kids." She said eagerly.

"Maybe dear." He said smiling.

**Heart hammering. Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

"**Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.**

"**Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go…"**

"**You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."**

"It is our kids Arthur!" She was beaming. "And we have a girl, a girl!"

"So?" Severus asked trying to be nice.

"There hasn't been girl born to Weasley's in about 5 generations." Arthur explained to their collective 'aah.'

**What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it - but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

"**Fred, you next," the plump woman said.**

"**I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"**

"Twins!" Molly told her husband happily. Every one was laughing good naturedly at her happy face.

"**Sorry, George, dear."**

"**Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone - but how had he done it?**

**Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there - and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.**

**There was nothing else for it.**

"**Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.**

"Can't they describe me as something else?" Molly said realizing for the first time that the book was calling her a plump woman. "How about the red haired kids mom at least."

"**Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."**

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.**

"There are some great descriptions in this book."

"**Yes," said Harry. "The thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -"**

"**How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.**

"**Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."**

"Thank you Molly." Lily told the woman who mentally counting.

"7 kids we have 7 kids! If Ginny is the last one." She pondered this for the next few passages.

"**Er- okay." Said Harry.**

**He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.**

**He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble - leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run - the barrier was coming nearer and nearer - he wouldn't be able to stop - the cart was out of control - he was a foot away - he closed his eyes ready for the crash -**

**It didn't come… he kept on running… he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it.**

"Woo! He's on his way to Hogwarts!" James pulled Lily up and did a kind of happy dance in the middle of the room.

"James!" She said blushing pulled him back down.

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."**

"**Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.**

"I like that name." Frank said with a grin.

"Really mate Neville?" Sirius said. "Eh I'd never call a kid that."

"I never said I would name my kid that." He said put out.

**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

"**Give us a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg. **

**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.**

"**Want a hand?" It was on e of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.**

"**Yes, please," Harry panted.**

"**Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"**

"Good their being nice."

**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

"**Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

"**What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lighting scar.**

"**Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you-?"**

"**He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.**

"**What?" said Harry.**

"**Harry Potter." Chorused the twins.**

"So much for them being polite." Arthur said sadly.

"**Ok, him," said Harry, "I mean, yes, I am."**

**The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

"**Fred? George? Are you there?"**

"**Coming, Mom."**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.**

**Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they sere saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

"Harry James don't spy on people it's not nice." Lily scolded to their amusement.

"**Ron, you've got something on your nose."**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.**

"Ugh Molly why'd you do that, now he's just going to hate you." Sirius said sarcastically. Molly didn't notice though see was still to happy about the fact that they would be having at least 4 more children.

"**Mom—geroff." He wriggled free.**

"**Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his noise?" said one of the twins.**

The Marauders smiled.

"**Shut up," said Ron.**

"**Where's Percy?" said their mother.**

"**He's coming now."**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.**

"He's already in his robes? Where's the toilet paper?" Sirius said standing up eagerly. Remus pulled him back down.

"Oh, my goodness Percy's a prefect? Our little baby's a prefect." Molly said with tears. James leaned over to Lily.

"Is she going to do this for the entire book?" He whispered.

"James think of how much we've gushed over Harry so far, it's only far."

"**Can't stay long, Mother." He said "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"**

"**Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."**

"**Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once –"**

"**Or twice -"**

"**A minute -"**

"**All summer -"**

They all laughed good naturedly except for Minerva and Molly, the latter wanting to scold the boys.

"**Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.**

The Maraduers laughed again.

"Does it really say that?" Sirius said grinning.

"Yes." Minerva said stiffly.

"**How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.**

"**Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on the check and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

"**Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -"**

"**Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

"What a great idea though." James said softly. Sirius and him shared a look.

"Don't you dare Potter." Minerva said warningly.

"**Great idea though, thanks, Mom,"**

"More pranksters, joy." Minerva said mournfully. "I might as well had in my letter of registration now."

"I won't let you leave." Albus said with a smile.

"**It's not funny. And look after Ron."**

"**Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."**

"**Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

"Poor boy."

"**Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"**

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

"**You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"**

"**Who?"**

"**Harry Potter!"**

**Harry heard the little girl's voice.**

"**Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please…"**

"Aaww." Lily and Molly sighed to the annoyance of all the males in the room.

"Harry has a little fan." Lily cooed.

"What if they grew up and got married." Molly said eagerly.

"That would be amazing, it could be a big grand wedding." Lily said picturing it.

"Lily wouldn't you rather imagine our wedding before our sons?" She tactfully ignored him and Severus' scowl.

"**You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"**

"Great slight contradiction there Molly, really well done." Sirius said clapping. She leaned over to Minerva.

"Are they always like this?"

"Welcome to my world."

"**Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there -like lighting."**

"**Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."**

"**Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"**

"Don't you dare ask him that Fred Weasley."

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

"**I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. **

"How'd you know it was Fred?" Frank asked.

"A mother just knows." She responded.

"I think she read over Minnie's shoulders." Sirius whispered loudly to Alice who giggled.

**As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."**

"**All right, keep your hair on."**

**A whistle sounded.**

"**Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

"Aww." All the girls cooed.

"**Don't Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

"**We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."**

"George!"

"**George!"**

Frank raised his hand.

"Does anyone else find that creepy or is it just me?"

"**Only joking, Mom."**

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.**

**Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to - but it had to be better tan what he was leaving behind.**

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

"**Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing to the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."**

"Which boys and girls is 11 year old boy talk for, I kind of know you may I sit here and hopefully avoid being rejected from other seats." James said.

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.**

"**Hey, Ron."**

**The twins were back.**

"**Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordon's got a giant tarantula down there."**

"Ugh." Alice shuddered at the sound of that.

"**Right." Mumbled Ron.**

"**Harry," said the other twin. "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."**

"**Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

"**Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.**

"I'm seeing a family connection here, between the twins and ickle ronnikins." Alice said with a smile. Lily groaned.

"And here I thought Alice was going to be nice and quiet this chapter."

**Harry nodded.**

"Look Harry agrees with you." Sirius said with a smile. James hit him with one of pillows.

"**Oh - well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron, "And have you really got - you know…"**

**He pointed at Harry's forehead.**

**Harry pulled back his bangs to slow the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

"**So that's where You-Know-Who -?"**

"**Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."  
**

"**Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.**

"You're kids are so tactful." Alice told Molly and Arthur.

"Why are you picking on our kids?" Arthur asked.

"Because I got bored with just Harry to make fun of." She admitted to their amusement.

"**Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

"**Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out the window again.**

"**Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.**

"**Er - Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."**

They turned to look at Molly in question.

"In my defense first how many of you talk to your second cousins on a regular basis. And second he is a bit weird." She said in her defense.

"**So you must know loads of magic already."**

**The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.**

Arthur blushed at that praise.

"**I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

"**Horrible - well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

"**Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."**

"Poor Ronny." Molly whispered. Arthur wrapped an arm around her in comfort.

"Were going to change things remember." He whispered in her ear.

**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.**

"**His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

The two Weasleys present blushed. Although they weren't quite that poor yet, they could see how with four more children they could become that way.**  
**

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and hke told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed cheer Ron up.**

"…**and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort -"**

**Ron gasped.**

"**What?" said Harry.**

"**You said You-Know-Who's name?" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people-"**

"Would be afraid to say his name?" Sirius said with a smile.

"**I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to **learn**…I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."**

"**You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

"Proof is sitting right next me to." James said with cocky smile making Lily blush.

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"**

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets ratting with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry**

"What are Mars bars?" Arthur asked eagerly. They all gave him a look. "Okay I have been very good this whole time and keeping a list, but you all have been picking on my wife this chapter so I think I deserve this answer." He said.

"You deserve an answer because we were picking on your wife?" Alice said with a smile.

"Yup." He said with a smile causing Molly to hit him on the arm.

"It's a candy bar that has nuts; I think almonds, caramel and milk chocolate." Lily said motioning for McGonagall to start reading again.

**- but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anyting, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven Sickles and seven bronze Kunts.**

**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

"**Hungry, are you?"**

"**Starving," said Harry, taking a large bit out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."**

"**Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on -"**

"**You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly. "you know, with five of us."**

"**Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

"So happy my effort is noted." Molly said sarcastically.

"But at least their becoming friends." Lily said optimistically.

"**What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" he was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

"**No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

"I'm missing that one too." Remus said.

"**What?"**

"**Oh, of course, you wouldn't know - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

"And I'm missing Ptolemy." Frank said. **  
**

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

"I love my chocolate frog card." Albus said beaming.

"You know if everyone keeps interrupting I'll never finish reading the chapter." Minerva said glaring at all of them.

"**So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.**

"**Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa – thanks –"**

**Harry turned over his card and read:**

**ABLUS DUMBLEDORE**

**CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**

**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, DUmble dore is particularly famous for his defet of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. **

"They really included that on there?" Minerva whispered to him. "Their pretty much making it known."

**Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.**

"Is their another type of bowling?" Lily asked curiously.

"Well there is centaur bowling, but you do not want to know about that." Remus said.

**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

"**He's gone!"**

"**Well, you can't expect him to hand around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her … do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.**

"**Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

"**Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"  
**

**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.**

"**You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "when they say every flavor, they mean every flavor - you know, you get all the ordinary one like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but than you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."**

**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

"**Bleaargh – see? Sprouts."**

**They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny fray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.**

"Better then my first experience with the beans." Alice remarked. "I got boggy and mustard."

"Egh."

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

"**Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

"Definatlly a Puff." Sirius remarked.

"What does that mean?" Frank asked him.

"He's a wimp, I bet he's going to be in Hufflepuff."

"What about Ron then?" Remus asked curiously.

"Oh Gryffindor, no doubt."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Cause all Weasley's are in Gryffindor."

"It is true." Arthur said with a smile.

"Am I allowed to finish reading now?"

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"**

"**He'll turn up." Said Harry.**

"**Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"**

**He left.**

"**Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."**

**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

"**He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust, "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"**

"This should be interesting. Considering most first years shouldn't be able to perform a color change charm yet." Albus said still smiling.

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. I was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

"You really should get him his own wand you know. It'll never work as well without his own."

"**Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway -"**

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slide open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

"Toilet paper!" Sirius shouted. Severus leaned over to Regulus.

"Maybe we can get him into a mental hospitalafter this." Regulus chuckled softly.

"**Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

"Again with the flattering descriptions."

"**We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

"**Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."**

**She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.**

"Ha ha, someone got called out." Sirius said grinning.

"**Er—all right."**

**He cleared his throat.**

"**Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."**

They burst out laughing.\

"How could he believe that was a spell?" Alice said holding her stomach.

"I can't believe I just read that." Minerva said shocked.

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.**

"**Are you sure that's a real spell? Said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will b enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"**

"She learned all the course books by heart?" James said amazed.

"Ravenclaw." Sirius intoned.

"She learned all the course books by heart." Minerva said happily.

**She said all this very fast.**

**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.**

"**I'm Ron Weasley." Ron muttered.**

"**Harry Potter," said Harry.**

"**Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and the Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."**

"Wow even the muggle born knows who he is."

"**Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.**

"**Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me." Said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."**

"She sounds like fun." Alice said sarcastically.

Please be in Gryffindor, Minerva was thinking.

**And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.**

"**Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."**

"**What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.**

"**Gryffindor." Said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."**

"**That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

"**Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

"He's a Weasley he'd never be sorted into Slytherin."

"**You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"**

**Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

"**Charlie's in Romania studying dragons,**

"Ugh." Molly said with worry.

**and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."**

"Are they mad?" Frank asked the room.

"Probably." Remus said agreeing.

**Harry stared.**

"**Really? What happened to them?"  
**

"**Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."**

**Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.**

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Albus said wisely.

"**What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

"**Er – I don't know any." Harry confessed.**

"**What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Nevill the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.**

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once; it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

"I smell trouble." Sirius said gleefully.

"Good puppy you learned how to smell." Remus said sarcastically.

"I'm not a puppy." Sirius said sadly.

"**Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you , is it?"**

"**Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

"**Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."**

"Stay away from them Harry. Malfoys are no good." James said in the most fatherly tone he could muster.

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have bennhiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

"**Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."**

**He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.**

"**I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.**

"In your face Malfoy!" Sirius yelled. They ignored him.

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

"**I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weaselys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."**

**Both Harry and Ron stood up.**

"**Say that again." Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

"Oh Ronald don't fight." Molly said tersely.

"**Oh, you're going to fight us,, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

"**Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.**

"Gryffindor." Sirius intoned.

"**But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."**

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

"What happens?" Frank asked.

"Heart attack?" Alice guessed.

"Overexposure to idiots?" Severus mumbled. Everyone took that a different way.

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the seats, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

"Did anyone else realize that Hermione is the only one besides Ron to get called by her name right away?" Remus asked.

"No that can't be right." Arthur said.

"Yes it is the twins were still called the twins for a while, even though he heard all their names. Molly was the plump lady for a long time. Even Neville was referred to as the toad boy for a bit."

"**What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron pickling up Scabbers by his tail.**

"**I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No - I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep."**

"Sounds like Petey." James whispered to Remus and Sirius.

**And so he had.**

"**You've met Malfoy before?"  
**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

"**I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side," He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

"**You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!**

"**Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "would you mind leaving while we change?"**

"Why? You only pull them on over your clothes." Alice said.

"**All right - I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"**

"That's one stubborn piece of dirt." Regulus said dryly.

**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.**

**He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train; "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."**

**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?**

"Oh good, I forgot that Hagrid would be taking the first years up to the castle." Lily said relived. **  
**

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.**

"**C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry though there must be thick trees there. Nobobdy spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

"**Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus'round this bend here."**

**There was a loud "Oooooh!"**

**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched stop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparking in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

"**No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.**

"**Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

"**Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff, they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

"**Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

"Oh, Hagrid found his toad." Alice said causing everyone to stare at her. "What I can be nice if I feel like it."

"**Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

"**Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. **

"Who wants to bet on who appears next." Sirius said standing up. "But it's you Minnie."

"Mr. Black I have been very patent with you today, so I suggest you be nice to me before I do something I regret." She said calmly.

"You're a teacher you can't do anything to me." He said smugly.

"You've pretty much graduated." She said with a smile. "Think about it. Who wants to read next?" Lily's hand shot up.

"Me next please. I want to read the sorting." She got up and took the book from Minerva.

"Now Lily you know that reading means you can't make as many comments as you normally do." Remus said with a smile. She frowned good naturedly.

"Okay as we guessed this was coming, the next chapter is called The Sorting Hat."

_**Sorry this took so long. School starts tomorrow and working out my schedule has been hectic. Finally I'm enrolled in Eng 205 and Bio 101, and it turns out AP tests give you 6 credits a test instead of 3. So I took 3 test and ended up with18 credits for college **____** It's awesome, I wish I had known sooner, but no one has ever taken that class before and passed so it was weird. **_

_**Anyway please review, I already have the Sorting hat chapter typed up, I just have to add the words of the past people, so please review.**_


	8. Sorting Hat

_**I apologize for the long wait for an update. College has been killing me, in addition to my high school classes, and trying to write my own story. I'm sorry again but I am trying.**_

_**Diclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**_

"Alrightly then, this chapter is called The Sorting Hat. Which mean's we'll get to see where Harry is placed." Lily said gleefully.

"And Ronnie!" Molly said excited.

"He…Ronnie…" Sirius chuckled which caused a pillow to be thrown in his direction.

"Can I start reading?" She said properly. And she cleared her voice.

**The Sorting Hat**

**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.**

"Minnie!" The boys cheered. She glared at him.

"Please don't let Harry get into trouble like his father." Minerva whispered. Sirius smiled and laughed.

"Hate to disappoint you Minnie but there are 7 books here."

"Call me Minnie again Mr. Black I dare you." She warned her lips getting extremely thin.

"**The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.**

"**Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stoned walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.**

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously. **

"**Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.**

"**The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."**

"Blah, blah, blah." James mumbled. "Can't we just skip to the sorting."

"It is so odd to hear about yourself talking." Minerva said softly causing every one to look at her in question.

"You talked in that first chapter."

"Briefly, this is different. I make this speech every year, but I haven't when this book takes place. Does that make sense?"

"Yes."

"**The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."**

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.**

"Won't work." James smiled and ruffed up his hair some more.

"**I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."**

"Is there really any thing to get ready or do you just say that to the first years to scare them more?" Frank asked.

"I have to go get the sorting hat during that time, Mr. Longbottom." She told him. Albus leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"I bring the sorting hat down every year."

"They don't have to know that."

**She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.**

"**How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.**

"**Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."**

"I hope Ron doesn't always take what his brothers say to be the truth." Molly said in a worried voice.

**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet – what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue. He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.**

"Do all first years feel this way?" Albus asked the students curiously.

"Most, don't you remember when you were in first year Professor's?" Sirius questioned.

"You're not finding out how old I am Mr. Black no matter what you ask." He swore under his breath.

**Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air - several people behind him screamed.**

"**What the -?"**

**He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. **

"The ghosts do that every year." Alice complained. "I walked in on them planning what they would float in saying. Their not fooling anyone."

**They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying; "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"**

"**My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"**

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.**

"Nearly Headless Nick!" The Marauders cheered.

**Nobody answered.**

"Well technically you just did Lils." Sirius said glaring at her.

"That was what it said in the book I didn't say that." She said explaining.

"But you did just say that."

"Yes I said it, but I was reading from the book. I wasn't just saying something to say something."

"Well…"

"Shut it Black!" Alice yelled. Then she turned to Lily. "Please continue."

"**New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?" **

**A few people nodded mutely.**

"**Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."  
**

"**Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

"**Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so they came to halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at the looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, a History. **

"I can't believe someone really read that book." Regulus said softly making Severus smirk a bit.

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.**

**Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.**

**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly,**

They had to break in the reading because Lily burst out laughing. Severus joined her and both the professors who had heard that question before smiled.

"Why are you laughing?" James asked. "While it is a bit odd to hear my son talking about pulling a rabbit out of a hat, I don't understand why it's so funny." Lily smiled at him.

"It's a trick muggle magician's use. They pull a rabbit out of a top hat for a show."

"Really that sound's so boring." Alice remarked. Arthur however was soaking in every word Lily said about the trick.

**That seemed the sort of thing – noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:**

"Can we please skip this part?" Severus asked. Regulus nodded in agreement.

"No Snape we have to read all of it." Sirius said smugly.**  
**

"_**Oh, you may not think I'm pretty.**_

_**But don't judge one what you see.**_

_**I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me.**_

_**You can keep your bowlers black.**_

_**Your top hats sleek and tall. (**_James: Ha top hat!)

_**For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and I can cap them all.**_

_**There's nothing hidden in your head the Sorting Hat can't see.**_

_**So try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be.**_

_**You might belong in Gryffindor.**_

_**Where dwell the brave at heart.**_

_**Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart:**_

_**You might belong in Hufflepuff.**_

_**Where they are just and loyal.**_

_**Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil:**_

_**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind.**_

_**Where those of wit and learning.**_

_**Will always find their kind:**_

_**Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends.**_

_**Those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.**_

_**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**_

_**And don't get in a flap!**_

_**You're in safe hands(though I have none)**_

_**For I'm a Thinking Cap!"**_

"They had a short one. Our year had a long one." Frank said with a frown.

"Yeah all about warning us to establish bonds of unity within the school. That was right around when Voldemort was getting stronger." Remus said. "Not bad advice, if these books are anything to go by."

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

"**So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."**

**Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only they had had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy that would have been the one for him.**

"Then every first year would be sorted into that house." Molly said smiling.

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.**

"**When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said "Abbot, Hannah!"**

"Rob's daughter you think?" Lily asked.

"He's the only Abbot we know." James said.

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause -**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.**

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

"**Bones, Susan!"**

"That must be Madam Bones's daughter." Minerva remarked to Albus softly.

"**HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

"**Boot, Terry!"**

"**RAVENCLAW!"**

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

"**Brocklehurst, Mandy." Went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.**

"Woo go Gryffindor!" Sirius cheered.

"**Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he though they looked like an unpleasant lot.**

Sirius restrained himself from making a comment to the Slytherins present.

**He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they like him.**

"**Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!"  
**

**Sometimes, Harry noticed the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnegan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

"**Granger, Hermione!"**

"Ravenclaw." Sirius yelled.

"You know what Sirius…. I bet you she's not in Ravenclaw and if I'm right you have to be quiet the rest of the chapter." Alice said with an evil smirk.

"What but that's no fun." He complained. Regulus laughed at his brother's face in shock.

"And if you're right I will give you 10 galleons."

"You're on!" Sirius said shaking her hand. Lily, who quickly read ahead, was laughing silently.

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

Lily paused and took a big breath.

"**GRYFFINDOR!" **

"NOOO!" Sirius cried. Alice cheered triumphantly.

"Now shut up." She beamed.

**shouted the hat. Ron groaned.**

**A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?**

"So pessimistic Harry." James said shaking his head. "I just don't know where he gets it from."

**When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called,**

"Wait what?" Frank said in shock.

"Did he say Longbottom?" Alice said weakly. "Oh my goodness we have a little boy." She started crying and leaned onto Frank's shoulder. Everyone congratulated the couple, Sirius even managed to make a quick snide comment with out Alice knowing. It was a few minutes until every one finally settled back down into their seats.

**he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," **

"Yea! My baby's in Gryffindor." Alice said happily.

"Are you at all terrified by how Alice is talking?" Sirius said loudly. Lily hit him with a pillow.

**Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to job back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."**

**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once; the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"**

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

**There wasn't many people left now. "Moon"… "Parkinson" …, then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" …, then "Perks, Sally-Anne" …, and then, at last -**

"**Potter, Harry!"**

"Woo! Come on Harry Gryffindor, Gryffindor!" James cheered to the room's amusement. "If it's not Gryffindor, I'll disown you."

"James Potter!" Lily shouted giving him angry glare.

"Just kidding dear."

**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.**

"**Potter, did she say?"**

"**The Harry Potter?"**

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.**

"**Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent. Ah my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?"**

**Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.**

"**Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that - no? Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR!**

All the Gryffindors in the room cheered and laughed. James gave Lily a big kiss and it took a few moments before she could start reading again.

**Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sadden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.**

"I hate it when ghosts do that." Regulus told them.

**He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban. And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a black boy even tall than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa." Became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted. "GRYFFINDOR!"**

"Yea! Ronnie's in Gryffindor too." Molly said fighting back tears. "I bet our boys become best friends." Molly told Lily who nodded fighting tears as well. James took the book out of Lily's hands and continued reading.

**Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.**

"**Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, BLaise," was made a Slytherin.**

"Wait didn't the book say there was only three people were left to be sorted after Harry?" Frank asked. James quickly checked the book.

"Yeah you're right Frank, if there had really only been 3 left Ron would have been the last one sorted."

"I guess Harry was wrong or who ever wrote this was."

**Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

**Harry looked down at his empty god plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.**

**Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.**

"**Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"**

The Marauders snickered and Albus beamed.

"Sir was that suppose to mean anything?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"I have honestly no idea Ms. Evans but it certainly seems like fun."

"**Thank you!"**

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

"**Is he – a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.**

"**Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"**

**Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he like to eat on one table; roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.**

They all gave Dumbledore a weird look, which he ignored and simply smiled.

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.**

"**That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.**

"**Can't you -?"**

"**I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years." Said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas De Minsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."  
**

"**I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "my brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"**

"**I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy - " the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.**

"**Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"**

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.**

"Well has anyone ever called him Sir Nicholas?" James asked.

"I do." Lily said.

"You would." Sirius mumbled lightly so Alice didn't hear him.

"**Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulders as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces. Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said. "So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without inning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."**

"Six year's in a row! Ugh." Minerva sighed, as if it caused her great pain. Albus simply chuckled at his colleague.

**Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements. **

"**How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

"**I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.**

"We did once." Remus stated.

"What happened?" Alice asked.

"You shall never know." He said mysteriously, James nodded in agreement.

**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparking clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…**

**As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.**

"**I'm half-and-half," said Seamus, "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."**

**The others laughed.**

"**What about you, Neville?" said Ron.**

"**Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch." Said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced—all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - the thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."**

"I'll kill Uncle Algie!" Frank said fiercely. Alice was quiet beside him.

"But where are we?" Everyone started at her. "Neville says his Gran brought him up, so where are Frank and I, were we another war casualty?" Lily moved to sit beside Alice and comfort her as she had done for Lily a couple chapter's ago.

"Don't worry Al, we're changing things remember. I'm going to raise Harry and you're going to raise Neville." Alice nodded into her friends shoulder. James slowly started reading again.

**On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn. I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing -")**

Minerva smiled again. Albus leaned over and whispered:

"You're hoping for a good student."

"Hoping and praying." She answered.

**Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrel, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.**

James choked mid sentence and he wasn't the only one. Severus looked horror struck.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eye – and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.**

"**Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

"**What is it?" asked Percy.**

"**N-nothing."**

**The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look - a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.**

Sirius was mumbling 'it can't be, it can't be' under his breath softly.

"**Who's the teacher taking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.**

"**Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."**

"WHAT!" Sirius and Severus both yelled.

"Why am I teaching, I hate kids, I would never want to teach." He said angrily.

"Yeah why is he teaching? I bet you're a horrible teacher favoring the little snakes and everything." Sirius shouted.

"Why do you even care Black you don't have a kid in the school. I haven't heard Potter say anything yet." The truth was that James was simply in shock from what he had read.

"Stop fighting now." Albus said calm and stern. "We don't know why Mr. Snape is a teacher and I suspect we'll learn soon enough. And Mr. Black you don't have a child in the school that we know of so you can't complain about anything." They both hung their heads in shame. Lily quickly snatched the book back from James and read:**  
**

**Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.**

**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

"**Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."**

"**First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."**

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.**

"**I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."**

"Which no one follows."

"What was that Mr. Black?" 

"Nothing Professor."

"**And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."**

**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.**

"The Sorcerer's stone?" Remus asked.

"We can only assume Mr. Lupin." Albus said softly.

"**He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.**

"**Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least." **

"He'd be surprised at how much we don't tell prefects." Minerva said.

"**And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.**

"What Minerva don't you like singing the song every year." Albus said insulted.

"Albus don't pretend to be shocked you know we hate it."

**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.**

"**Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"**

**And the school bellowed.**

"Can't we skip this?" Sirius and Severus asked to their horror.

"No!" Albus sung. "Lets all sing it."

"**Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts.**

**Teach us something please.**

**Whether we be old and bald **

**Or young with scabby knees.**

**Our heads could do with filling**

**With some interesting stuff.**

**For now they're bare and full of air.**

**Dead flies and bits of fluff.**

**So teach us things worth knowing.**

**Bring back what we've forgot,**

**Just do your best, we'll do the rest.**

**And learn until our brains all rot."**

**Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. **

"Just like us!" James and Sirius smiled. "Though we do like to mix it up." James said.

"Too true Prongs, doing the same thing every year would simply be boring." Sirius agreed.

**Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.**

"**Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"**

**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits, along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt. **

**A bundle of walking sticks was flowing in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.**

"**Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves- show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

"I love Peeves." Sirius said.

"You would."

"**Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"**

**There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

"**Ooooooooh!" he said, with an evil crackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

"**Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.**

"**You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "the Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."**

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress. "Password?" she said.**

"Ha ha now we know where the Gryffindor common room is." Regulus said grinning.

"And you won't tell a soul, unless you want your baby pictures posted up in the great hall." Sirius answered.

"**Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.**

**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral stair case – they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed. **

"**Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."**

**Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.**

**Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier: he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully - and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it - then Malfoy turned into the hook—nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold - there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.**

**He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all. **

"What did that mean?" Lily asked.

"I don't know they say sometimes dreams let you know about yourself, but as Harry doesn't even remember the dream we may never know." Albus said.

"But aren't these books Harry's memories?"

"Good point Mr. Black but I guess we will never know."

"Alright then who's reading next?" Lily asked. "That's the end of the chapter."

"I'll read." Remus said taking the books.

_**I'm truly sorry for not updating sooner but I've been so swamped with college and high school work. And then in winter I start indoor track. I'll try my best though. Please review though. **_


	9. The Potions Master

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I think I'm pretty sure I named the previous Defence teacher wrong, please don't kill me I just don't want to look it up.**_

"Well this chapter sounds interesting." Remus replied. "It's called the Potions Master."

"Yippie, a whole chapter dictated to Snape." James replied his shock from the last chapter had worn off.

"James." Lily warned. She may not be best friends with Snape anymore but that still doesn't mean she was going to listen to the two of them going back and forth.

**The Potions Master'**

"**There, look." **

"**Where?"**

"**Next to the tall kid with the red hair."**

"**Wearing the glasses?"**

"**Did you see his face?"**

"**Did you see his scar?"**

"Did you see his glasses?" Alice remarked. "Just trying to guess what's next." She replied to their stares.

**Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubted back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.**

"Don't worry sweet heart after the first week it's easy to find your way." Lily said.

"Speak for yourself." Alice said. It had taken her almost a month to find her way to all her classes.

**There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts; wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place.**

The Marauders all shared a grin at that, they loved visiting the kitchens.

**And doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.**

"They can" Everyone chorused.

**The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. **

"Aw he's not so bad." Sirius said grinning.

"Yeah that's because he works with you lot half the time." Frank said, though he sounded amused.

**He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"**

"We taught him that." James and Sirius said happily. Professor McGonagall moaned into her hands.

**Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. **

James, Sirius, Frank and Arthur roared with laughter at their misfortune. While Lily and Molly looked terrified.

**He wouldn't believe they were lost, he was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.**

**Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's.**

"Kick her." Sirius whispered.

**She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one tow out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghost. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.**

They all snickered.

**And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.**

"Of course there is, did he think that it would be so easy." Minerva said shaking her head.

**They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different starts and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the green houses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, **

"She's new." Frank said.

"Is the herbology teacher still Professor Scaretrout?" Molly asked.

"Currently yes it is still Professor Scaretrout but he is planning on retiring in a couple of years." Minerva told them.

**Where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. **

"Why don't you get rid of him Professor Dumbledore?" Remus asked after reading the passage.

"Well because no one else will take the position. Professor Binns has been here so long and no one has applied for the job. Boring as he maybe Mr. Lupin Professor Binns does know a lot."

**Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.**

They all laughed at that, especially Lily who's specialty was Charms.

**Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking –to the moment they sat down in her first class.**

"**Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hgowarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."**

"You know I think you told us the exact same thing." Lily told her.

"Yeah and I don't think you've ever kept a student out of your class." Albus whispered to her.

"They don't know that." Minerva said.

**Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. **

"Show off!" Sirius cheered.

"10 points from Gryffindor Mr. Black." Minerva responded.

"What! For what?" He yelled.

"Because all of you seem to be forgetting that you are still in school. So if you make comments like that, you will lose house points just like in class." The two Slytherins in the room chuckled and shot mildly gleeful smirks in the direction of the Marauders.

"Professor Dumbledore hasn't said anything about it." Sirius responded.

"I'm sorry Mr. Black I have gone temporarily deaf and have not heard anything that just happened." He responded causing chuckles. "Perhaps Mr. Lupin should continue reading."

**They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long times. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to he match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.**

"You can smile?" Sirius asked and James quickly covered his mouth shooting Minerva a guilty smile.

**The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid he would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirell was protected whenever he went. **

"Wow that teacher sounds horrible. Professor Merrythoart was a great teacher." Molly said leaning up against her husband.

"Yes it does seem like we have a problem getting good defense against the dark arts teacher lately." Minerva said.

"We've had a different teacher every year, how long has that been happening." Regulus asked quietly. Minerva and Albus shared a look.

"Since Professor Merrythoart retired." Albus answered. Remus frowned slightly before continuing reading.

**Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.**

"Well they could only really learn the theory aspect of it." Arthur said, as he was their Ministry insider. "With the Trace on them they couldn't practice magic at all."

**Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.**

"**What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.**

"**Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them – we'll be able to see if it's true." **

James glared at Severus silently.

"**Wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before. **

"Of course not favoritism is wrong."

**Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps. **

"You know you really should have a better explanation for muggle borns. I was scared to death when that happened, and the door threw me for a loop as well." Lily told the Professors.

"How about we talk about it at dinner Ms. Evans and you can tell us everything that confused you as a muggleborn."

**Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?**_

_**I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.**_

_**Hagrid**_

"Aw that's so nice of him. James we really need to visit him more." Lily said patting his arms.

"Yes dear." He said in a small voice.

**Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled **_**Yes, please, see you later **_**on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again. **

**It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.**

James growled in Severus' direction.

**At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry - he **_**hated **_**him. **

"Why do you hate Harry?" James yelled at him. Lily grabbed his arm to calm him down.

"Gee I don't know Potter maybe because I hate you!" Severus yelled back.

"That's no reason to take it out on Harry!" James yelled back and Albus sent up sparks with his wand.

"Both of you calm down." He said fiercely. "The point of these books is to change the future. You must remember that none of this has happened yet and there is still time to change it. Now you were both picked to be in here for a reason so stop bickering." He said all this very calmly, but it caused them both to just scowl darkly. "Continue reading Mr. Lupin."

**Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. **

"Why does potions take place in the dungeons?" Remus asked.

"It's to preserve the ingredients Lupin. If you had made it past OWL level class you would know that." Snape hissed. Remus decided to ignore him and continue reading.

**Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.**

"**Ah, Yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."**

"Shut it Snape!" James hissed. "If you dare pick on him…" But he was cut off by Alice sending a silencing charm at him. Then she turned around and did the same to Severus.

"Miss Smith!" Minerva yelled shocked.

"Well I'm sorry but there was no way we would get though this chapter if they didn't stop hissing at each other." She said, her round face drawn into a fierce frown. Albus nodded solemnly and mentioned Remus to once again start reading.

**Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels. **

"**You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking." he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.**

"Yeah fear." Sirius piped and in a second later he to was silenced by Alice.

"**As there is little foolish wandwaving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with is shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the sense… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."**

Although she considered them no longer friends, Lily had roll her eyes warmly. That sounded just like Severus.

**More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving the she wasn't a dunderhead.**

"**Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"**

"Severus Snape you know fully well that that is sixth year NEWT material. How would a first year know that?" Lily asked him steaming. He was never more thankful that he was silenced.

_**Powdered root of what to an infusion of what?**_** Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.**

"How does she know that?" Frank wondered. They were all stunned.

"Did she really learn all her course books by heart then?' Molly asked. "Please let Ronny be friends with her." She pleaded.

"**I don't know sir." said Harry.**

**Snape's lips curled into a sneer.**

"**Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."**

**He ignored Hermione's hand.**

James made a furious silent yell at Snape but everyone could guess what he said.

"**Let's try again, Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"**

"That's at least 4th year material." Lily said quietly. She understood that Severus and James didn't get along but couldn't he be nice to her son. After all, she thought, he is half mine. I know were not friends anymore but still.

**Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter. **

"**I don't know, sir –"**

"**Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?**

**Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand. **

"**What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsband?"**

No one needed to be told that this actual was first year material though not the way it was phrased.

**At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling. **

"Just call on her already." Frank said softly.

"**I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"**

"Oh Harry don't be like your father." Lily whispered causing the room to laugh and James pout at her.

**A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased. **

"**Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most potions. As for monkshood and wolfsband, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"**

"Because you didn't ask them to." Alice and Molly said together. They hadn't forgotten that they both had sons in that class.

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "and a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."**

James hissed again.

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs. **

"Oh my baby." Alice whispered. Frank rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm sure he's alright. Neither of us are that great at potions it seems he inherited it."

"**Idiot boy!" snarled Snape,**

Alice threw a pillow at him.

**clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?**

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.**

"**Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.**

"**You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."**

**This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.**

"**Don't push it," he **muttered**, "I've heard Snape on turn very nasty."**

"Good Ron keep him straight." Lily said

**As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week - why did Snape hate him so much?"**

James looked really sad at that. He was mad at Snape, furious really, but he was also sad that all this was because of him. Not that he would ever tell Snape that.

"**Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"**

**At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds, Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door. **

**When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks, then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying. "Back, Fang -back."**

"Who's Fang?" Arthur asked the crowd.

"Hopefully a dog." Remus said, as he was the only marauder still allowed to speak. "He has a dog called Snarl now."

"Are the dog's as violent as their names suggest?" Molly asked.

"Snarl's not, he's more like a big puppy."

**Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.**

"**Hand on," he said. "Back, Fang."**

**He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.**

**There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.**

"**Make yourselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagird, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.**

"Good." The mothers sighed.

"**This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.**

"**Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."**

**The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.**

"That's nice of them." Minerva said, who had'd plenty of experience with Hagrid's cooking.

**Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes. **

**Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git."**

"Everyone calls him that." Regulus said softly. He didn't want to speak to loudly yet.

"**An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Filch puts her up to it."**

**Harry told Hagird about Snape's lesson. Hargrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.**

"**But he seemed to really hate me."**

"**Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"**

**Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.**

James looked down at his feet in quilt.

"**How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I like him a lot - great with animals."**

**Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting form the Daily Prophet.**

"Why would Hagrid keep a clipping from the Daily Prophet?" Minerva questioned.

_**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN-LATEST**_

_**Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**_

"_**But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you**_**." **_**said a Gringotts spoker goblin this afternoon.**_

"The break in happened when Harry and Hagrid had been at Gringotts?" Frank questioned.

"But then it says, the vault had been emptied the same day." Regulus put in.

"So it seems that someone is after the Philosophers Stone." Minerva said worried.

"Three guesses who." Remus said darkly. Lily looked shocked.

"Voldemort?" She said shocked. "But he's dead, James and I died the same night he died."

"If you remember Miss. Evans, at the beginning of the book my future self said I wasn't sure he was gone for good. He may still be out there in some form or another." He said gravely.

**Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.**

"**Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"**

**There was no doubt about it; Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?**

"Harry please don't go looking for trouble." Lily said anxiously.

**As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighted down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse. Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about an tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just I time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry? **

"Yes, Hogwarts, and yes." Frank said.

"That's the end of the chapter." Remus said.

"I'll read next." Alice said taking the book from Remus and snuggling next to Frank. "Should I undo the silencing charm?"

"Yes, Miss Smith, but only if they promise to behave." Albus said in a slightly warning voice. With a flick of her wand the charm was gone and the three boys massaging their throats.

"Thanks," They mumbled and they looked at her to begin.

_**Sorry again I've been gone so long, but dual enrollment is very hard. I am pleased to say I've gotten a A and a B in both my college classes as well as straight A's in my high school classes. I've also been excepted to Salisbury University and University of New Haven so if anyone reading this goes there let me know what you think. I'm still deciding. Please review and let me know what you think on the story and what I can improve on.**_


	10. The Midnight Duel

_**First let me say if this chapter sucks I'm sorry. I feel horrible, but this is the only time I have to type. So please be kind.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter**_

"Well this sounds interesting." Alice said brightly. "It's called **The Midnight Duel."**

"Please let that not mean what I think it means." Lily said nervously.

"I hope Ron is not with Harry for that." Molly said worried. Both their guys put an arm around their respective girl.

**Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.**

"Good." James and Sirius said together.

"His father's no good so there's no way little Malfoy can be that different from Lucious." Sirius said scowling.

"Lucious?" Lily asked.

"Lucious Malfoy was a Slytherin that was 4 years ahead of us." Severus said softly.

"He's engaged to marry our cousin Narcissa next month." Regulus said quietly. Sirius glared, not at his brother but at the mention of who they were related to. Lily nodded understanding and motioned for Alice to read. Sirius looked ticked.

**Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lesson would be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.**

"You guys did the same thing with us**.**" Sirius said. "I think you do it on purpose." Minerva pointed to Albus.

"I have no control with that." She said placing the full blame on Albus who looked very offended.

"**Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."**

"You've got my blood Harry. You'll be great." James said beaming.

"Don't forget James, that Harry is also half Lily's." Remus said smirking. James looked horrified.

"No Harry has to be a Quidditch player. I always said if I had a son he'd be the best." He moaned. Alice ignored him and kept reading.****

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

**Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams **

"That's because it's not fair to the muggle born students who have never flown before. Also it's not good to send a letter home that your eleven year old got a concussion from a 17 year old." Minerva said tightly glancing at them as if daring them to defy her.

**and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasn't the only one, though; the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charles's old broom.**

"He had better not have hit a muggle thing on a broom." Molly said angrily. "Right Arthur?"

"…What… oh yes dear." He hadn't been listening. He had been trying to remember what a hang glider was.

**Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. **

"Yea!" Lily cheered. The marauders shook their heads. They had already had this discussion with Lily about Quidditch and soccer.

**Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. **

"See!" James said pointing to the book as evidence. Lily glared at him to shut him up.

**Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move. **

**Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.**

"He really is my son." Alice said proudly to the crowd's amusement.

**Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book - not that she hadn't tried. **

"How?" Remus asked curious.

"Let me read and I'll tell you." Alice said sarcastically.

**At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called **_**Quidditch Though the Ages**_**.**

"Wonderful book." James said clapping.

"A real page turner." Sirius continued.

"You read a book?" Frank asked causing them to stare at him in shock. "Yeah I can joke when I want to."

**Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. **

**Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table. **

"Probably from the house elves not his parents." Regulus mumbled but Sirius heard and laughed. Then realized what he had done looked embarrassed and looked down.

**A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.**

"**It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things - this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red -oh…" His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "…. you've forgotten something…"**

"That's neat." Arthur commented.

"Yeah except it doesn't tell you what you've forgotten." Severus said dryly.

**Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand. **

"You had better give that back to my son boy." Alice said clutching the book.

**Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.**

"Thank you Professor."

"You're welcome Miss Smith."

"**What's going on?"**

"**Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."  
**

**Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.**

"**Just looking." he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.**

**At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.**

**The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. **

"Only twenty. That's amazing." Frank said. Their own class had been at least 28.

**Harry had heard Fred and George complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.**

**Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.**

"She's new." Albus commented. "It seems like Madam Carter has finally retired by this time."

"Good." The Quidditch players in the room said.

"**Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." **

**Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.**

"Ugh" James made a sound of disgust.

"**Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!" **

"**UP" everyone shouted.**

**Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once,**

"That means he's a natural!" James said happily high fiveing Sirius over Lily's head.

**but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground and Neville's hadn't moved at all. **

"And it looks like he inherited my skill on a broom." Frank said with a slight frown. Alice looked sad that Neville hadn't inherited her skill.

**Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.**

"Good thought Harry but no." Sirius said. "It tells how good you are."

**Madam hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.**

"**Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"**

**But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.**

"Oh no." Frank whispered.

"Yeah didn't you do something similar Frank?" Remus asked. Frank just nodded.

"**Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and -**

**WHAM - a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.**

"Oh my baby." Alice whispered. She had read through the section fairly quickly and now took a deep breath before starting again.

**Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.**

"**Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "come on, boy - it's all right, up you get."**

"See no problem Alice, Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a second. He'll be fine." Lily assured her friend.

**She turned to the rest of the class.**

"**None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."**

**Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.**

**No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.**

"I'll kill him." Alice whispered.

"Just kill his dad." Sirius told her grinning.

"**Did you see his face, the great lump?"**

**The other Slytherins joined in.**

The Gryffindors in the room glared at the two Slytherins present.

"**Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.**

"**Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."**

"**Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."  
**

**The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.**

"Malfoy better drop it." Frank hissed surprising them. Alice was known to be the more aggressive of the two.

"**Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.**

"Oh Harry please don't be rash." Lily pleaded.

**Malfoy smiled nastily. **

"**I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find – how about - up a tree?"**

"**Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "come and get it, Potter!"**

"Don't get on the broom, don't get on the broom." Lily whispered.

"Go get them Harry!" James cheered. Lily slapped his arm. "Ow."

**Harry grabbed his broom.**

"**NO!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble."**

"Please listen to her." Lily pleaded again. Sirius shook his head.

"No Harry don't listen to the nerd. Go give Malfoy what coming to him."

"She has a good head on her shoulders Mr. Black. Harry should listen to her." Minerva said giving him her teacher look.

"No he should stand up for a friend." Sirius argued back.

"Perhaps we should all just bear in mind that none of this has happened yet and keep reading." Albus said raising his voice slightly. "Please continue Ms. Smith."**  
**

**Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed though his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him – and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught - this was easy, this was wonderful. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.**

"that's my boy!" James cheered.

**He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned. **

"**Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"**

"**Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.**

"Good you better look worried." James told the book and Lily put her hand on his shoulder.

"James please I want to get though this chapter." She whispered. He nodded and blushed when Sirius whispered "Whipped!"

**Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.**

"**No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.**

**The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.**

"**Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.**

"Oh please don't…" Lily whispered Alice started reading faster.

**Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down – next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching – he stretched out his hand - a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he topple gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist. **

"YEAH!" James cheered. "I can't believe he caught that." 

"He's a seeker." Regulus whispered. He doubted he could pull something like that on the school brooms.

"**HARRY POTTER!"**

"Crap." James and Sirius said simultaneously.

**His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them.**

"No Minnie why?" Sirius asked her. She glared at him.

"Mr. Potter broke the rules Mr. Black therefore he must be punished." Minerva told him. She was ignoring the nick name.

**He got to his feet, trembling.**

"**Never – in all my time at Hogwarts –"**

**Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, " - how dare you - might have broken you neck -"**

"It wasn't his fault, Professor…" James started.

"**It wasn't his fault, Professor -"**

"Be quiet Mr. Potter." Minerva responded.

"**Be quiet, Miss Patil -"**

"Did you just call me a girl Alice?" James asked.

"I'm reading the book, not making fun of you James." She said rolling her eyes.

**But Malfoy -"**

"**That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."  
**

**Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Profess McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?**

"We don't expel that easily. Why do students always think that?" Minerva said.

"Because you threaten us with it." Remus said smiling.

**Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him.**

"That's odd, you normally start listing off punishments when you catch us doing something wrong." James said. Minerva frowned.

"That's right Mr. Potter, normally I tell you off on the way there."

**She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag. **

"Your child can be very depressing." Arthur noted.

**Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.**

"**Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"**

"What are you doing Minerva?" Albus asked amused. She shook her head in wonder.

**Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?**

"I would never hit a child." She said shocked.

"Filch would." Severus thought sarcastically.

**But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.**

"**Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.**

"**In here."**

**Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.**

"**Out, Peeves!' she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. **

"I can't believe Peeves listened to you." Arthur said shocked. "He never listened to anyone."

**Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.**

"**Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker."**

"NO WAY!" James shouted. "Thank you Professor." He ran and gave her a hug that she awkwardly returned.

"But he's a first year." Severus said shocked. Albus chuckled.

"We impose that rule to keep the first years safe. Their have been times when the rule has been broken before. Mostly when no other player can be found." He explained to them. Severus still sneered and Regulus was more shocked then anything else.

"But Quidditch is so dangerous." Lily said worried. Alice leaned over and patted Lily's arm.

"Remember Madam Pomfrey can mend almost anything."

**Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.**

"**Are you serious, Professor?"**

"**Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"**

**Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.**

"**He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."**

"Charlie's good at Quidditch?" Molly said shocked.

"So it would appear." Arthur said. He didn't really know much about Quidditch but he enjoyed a good game every now and then.

**Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.**

"**Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.**

"**Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.**

"And he's only a 5th year, he must be good." Minerva noted.

"**He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light—speedy - we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."**

"**I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"**

Severus snickered at this and Minerva turned and glared at him.

"Remember I am still your professor." She warned.

**Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.**

"**I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."**

**Then she suddenly smiled.**

"**Your father would have been proud," she said "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."**

"Of course I'm proud. What dad wouldn't be." He beamed at Lily who smiled and laid her head on his arm.

"**You're joking."**

"Why the hell would I be joking Alice?" James yelled.

"Again Potter… I was reading the book, not making fun of you."

**It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.  
**

"**Seeker?" he said. "But first years never - you must be the youngest house playing in about -"**

" **- a century," said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."**

"That's so awesome."

**Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.**

"**I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."**

**Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.**

"**Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters."**

"Best position ever!" Sirius cheered. **  
**

"**I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year." said Fred. "we haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry. Wood was almost skipping when he told us."**

Molly frowned and stared at the book. "But Charlie is only 4 now 3 years older then Percy who's a newborn. Charlie would have graduated the year before this happened."

"Maybe Charlie wasn't as good as they thought?" Sirius suggested.

"Maybe it was just because the team is so young." Lily said. "If Wood is a 5th year and he's captian then the rest of the team must be younger then that. Look at the facts, the twins are in their third year and they must have been on the team last year."

"**Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."**

"**Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."**

"Secret passageway behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy very helpful." Minerva said. The marauders groaned.

**Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.**

"**Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"**

"**You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.**

"**I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy, "tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"**

"Probably not" Lily said raising an eyebrow. "And for good reason."

"**Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"**

"They won't really need seconds will they?" Molly asked worried.

"I highly doubt it dear."

**Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.**

"**Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."**

"They had better not go." Lily said softly.

**When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.**

"**What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"**

"**Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly. "but people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."**

"Probably if he's anything like his father." Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"**And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"**

"**Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.**

James and Sirius nodded.

"Good advice." They said soundly. Lily rounded on both of them and slapped them on the arm.

"Not good advice. They shouldn't go at all."

"**Excuse me."  
**

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.**

"I always liked that girl." Lily said relived.

"You don't know what she's going to say." Severus said slightly amused at his former friend. Lily glared at him, she was still mad at him for how he treated Harry in the future.

"**Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.**

"Nope never." Frank said smiling.

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.**

"**I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying -"**

"**Bet you could," Ron muttered.**

" **- and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

"**And it's really none of your business," said Harry.**

"Harry James when we raise you, you are not going to talk to girls like that right James?"

"Right…even if they are annoying nerds." He whispered under his breath so his girlfriend didn't hear.

"**Good-bye." said Ron.**

**All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back fromt eh hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "if he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them." There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness - this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.**

"Gosh you're just like you're father."

"**Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go."**

**They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."**

"Okay she's even starting to get on my nerves." Alice said groaning.

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.**

"Surprise!" Alice said sarcastically.

"**You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"**

"**I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy - he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."  
**

**Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.**

"I see a future prefect." Sirius with singsong voice.

"There's nothing wrong with being a prefect." Remus said pouting.

"**Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the fat Lady and climbed through the hole. **

**Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.**

Sirius quacked loudly.

"**Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."**

"Good job Minnie you're persuading her."

"Don't call me Minnie Mr. Black."**  
**

"**Go away."**

"**All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -"**

**But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.**

"Ah irony." James said smiling.

"It is highly amusing." Sirius continued.

"**Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.**

"Just stay outside the portrait of the Fat Lady and don't go anywhere." Minerva said in a worried tone.

"**That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."  
**

**They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.**

"**I'm coming with you," she said.**

"Two's a party, three's a crowd." Lily chimed. They all stared at her. "Muggle reference."

"**D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."**

"Filch wouldn't buy it." Arthur said. That carekeeper was the bane of his existence when he went to Hogwarts.

"**You've got some nerve -" said Ron loudly.**

"**Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."**

"Filch?" Lily squeaked.**  
**

**It was a sort of snuffling.**

"Oh please don't get caught." Lily whispered.

"Lily calm down." Remus tried to assure her. "Look at how many times we've been caught." He pointed between him and the two other marauders. "And somehow I was picked to be a prefect and James here is Head Boy."

"Thank you Remus that does help."

"**Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.**

**It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. **

Alice frowned when she read that.

**He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.**

"**Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get into bed."**

"He is just like you Alice." Frank said laughing. She pretended to ignore him.

"**Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."**

"**How's your arm?" said Harry.**

"**Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."**

Lily gave Alice a knowing look.

"**Good - well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later -"**

"**Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."**

**Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.**

"**If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."**

**Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. **

"How would she know? That's year 3." Severus said shocked. And though he would never admit it, the annoying girl was really smart for a muggleborn.

**They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.**

**Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cup, shields, plates, and statures winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.**

"**He's late, maybe he's chickened out." Ron whispered.**

"He was probably never even going to show up." James said darkly.

**Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak - and it wasn't Malfoy.**

"**Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."**

"Run Harry!" Lily said loudly. Professor McGonagall looked torn between wanting them to get away and thinking they deserved to get caught. Dumbledore looked very amused.

**It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck. Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.**

"**They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter. "probably hiding."**

Everyone was hanging on Alice's every word.

"**This way!" Harry mouthed to the others an d, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor.**

"Oh no!'

**The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.**

"**RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following - they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going - they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.**

"Good." Lily and Molly said letting out a big sigh of relief.

"**I think we've lost him," Harry panted. Leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.**

"**I - told - you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I- told - you."**

"Not the time… you need to get back to Gryffindor tower." Lily said quickly.

"**We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."**

"**Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you - Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."**

**Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that. **

Boy's all the girls in the room thought rolling their eyes.

"**Let's go."**

**It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattle and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.**

**It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.**

"You're in trouble now." Sirius said shocked.

"**Shut up, Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out."**

**Peeve's cackled.**

"**Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."**

"**Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."**

"**Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "it's for your own good, you know."**

"**Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.**

"Yep we made that mistake once." Sirius said. "That was a big mistake."

"**STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"**

**Ducking under peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door – and it was locked.**

"**This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "we're done for! This is the end!"**

"Alohomora." Regulus said softly.

**They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeve's shouts.**

"**Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!"**

**The lock clicked and the door swung open - they piled through it, shut if quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.**

"**Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."**

"**Say 'please.'"**

"**Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"**

"**Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice. **James and Sirius both grinned.

"**All right – please."**

"**NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.**

"Oh thank goodness." Lily said leaning back against James.

"**He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay - get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "What?"**

**Harry turned around - and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare - this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far. **

They stared at Alice in wonder for she had just squeaked loudly having read ahead.

**They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden. **

**They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.**

"Why the hell is that thing in a school!" Molly screamed. Arthur tried rubbing her back to calm her down. Lily was staring at the book in shock and James was staring as well.

**It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.**

**Harry groped for the doorknob - between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.**

"Good choice." Minerva said, slightly shocked at learning about the dog. But she knew how Albus was a bit eccentric when it came to things like that."

**They fell backward - Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared - all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.**

"**Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.**

"**Never mind that - pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs. **

**It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.**

"I can't really blame him."

"**What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."**

**Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" She snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"**

"She noticed the trapdoor?" James said shocked.

"Which means they're going to figure out that it's protecting something." Remus said calculating.

"**The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."**

"**No, not the floor, It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."  
**

**She stood up, glaring at them.**

"**I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or worse, expelled.**

Despite the slight horror of the chapter the room couldn't help laughing at that.

"Every teacher's dream right there." Minerva said laughing.

**Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."**

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open.**

"**No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."**

**But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something…. What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide - except perhaps Hogwarts. **

**It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.**

"See Hermione lit the spark. Now if Harry is anything like James he isn't going to stop until he knows what's in that package." Remus said.

"Lets hope they don't become friends with Hermione then." Regulus said. They turned to stare at him and he blushed and then said. "If she could notice the trap door what else would she be able to notice and do? She's already capable of higher level spells. She would be the brains of the operation.

They all thought about what he said when Remus remarked.

"That's quite clever."

"Who's reading next?" Alice asked holding up the book.


	11. Halloween

"I suppose that I'll read next." Sirius said groaning as if it was such a great chore. Taking the book from Alice he actually smiled. "This chapter actually doesn't sound that bad it's called Halloween."

"Then get started Black" Lily said smiling. He grinned at her and started.

**Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. **

"I'm so proud." James said smiling. They all chose to ignore him.

**In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.**

"The philosophers stone!" Alice said smiling.

"They don't know that Alice!" Lily said smiling.

"**It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.**

"Or both." James said.

"**Or both," said Harry.**

"That's really starting to get creepy." Arthur said.

**But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.**

**Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.**

"There's one smart child." Minerva said causing her students to pout and groan.

**Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus. All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.**

**As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thick package carried by six large screech owls. **

"Broom!" James yelled.

"Finally we get to hear about the broom." Sirius said. All the other Quidditch fans nodded as well though less eagerly.

**Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.**

**Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:**

**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE**

_**It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand,**_

"Yes! Minnie you got him the Nimbus!" James cheered. Minerva shot a silencing spell at him and glared at the others.

"That's a warning if the rest of you start; you will get hit as well." Sirius avoided her glare and kept reading.

_**but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session. **_

_**Professor McGonagall**_

**Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.**

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."**

"Duh it just came out." Molly reached over and hit Severus on the arm.

**They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.**

"**That's a broomstick." he said,**

"Great deduction Sherlock." Lily said ironically. James looked at her in shock though he still couldn't talk."

"Why did you call him Sherlock?" Frank asked.

"Didn't we already discuss this? Sherlock is the name of a well known fictional character known for his deductive reasoning skills. So by calling him Sherlock I'm subtlety making fun of his intellect."

"Can't you silence her Minnie?" Sirius asked.

"You should be grateful I can't silence you right now Mr. Black." She said tightly.

**throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."**

"Except when given special permission." Albus said smiling.

**Ron couldn't resist it.**

"**It's not any old broomstick," he said, "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as Nimbus."**

"Oh!" the marauders chorused.

"**What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."**

Molly flushed and Arthur's ears turned red.

"That's just rude." Alice said glaring at the two Slytherins in the room as if it was their fault. **  
**

**Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.**

"**Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.**

"Yeah professors!" Lily cried, she had started to fear they'd start up another fight.

"**Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly. **

"**Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"**

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.**

"Take that Malfoy!" surprisingly it was Remus who said that and he quickly blushed.

**Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.**

"Just like his father." Lily sighed into her hands. James smiled at her and patted her back.

"**Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team…"**

"Although I'm the one who gave him the broom, that is no reason to be breaking the rules." Minerva said strictly causing the marauders to snicker.

"**So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them.**

"No way Professor you overheard them!" Regulus looked shocked. Minerva smiled at him.

"I don't believe that me Mr. Black."

**Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.**

"Ah it's the little bookworm" Sirius said frowning at the book in his hands. Remus, Lily and Minerva all glared at him.

"**I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.**

"**Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."**

"Ronald be polite." Molly said fiercely.

**Hermione marched away with her nose in the air. **Which Sirius quickly imitated. After the room stopped laughing Minerva scolded him.

"Read the book Mr. Black or we won't let you finish reading.

**Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off the Quidditch pitch where he'd be learning to play that night. He bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.**

"**Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.**

**Even Harry, who knew nothing about the different brooms, though it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.**

The Quidditch fans were practically salivating hearing about it.

**As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the duck toward the Quidditch pitch. He'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the pitch so that the spectators were high enough to see what as going on. At either end of the pitch were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Harry of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.**

Lily giggled at her son's imagination and ignored the looks she got from everyone else.

**Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling - he swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch. **

James made a grunting noise at the description of the broom. Minerva's spell still firmly in place.

"**Hey, Potter, come down!"**

**Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him.**

"**Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant… you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."**

"three times a week! He's as bad as you James." Sirius said. He shook his no and looked at Minerva and glared.

"I'll take it off once the Quidditch talk is over Potter."

**He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.**

"Do we really have to read this?" Frank asked. He really didn't like Quidditch though he would come watch Alice play. Sirius responded by continuing to read.

"**Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."**

James high-fived Alice who whooped.

"**Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.**

"Can you tell me about that?" Arthur whispered to Lily, who nodded back quickly.

"**This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"**

"**The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So – that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"**

"Muggles have very uncreative names for sports." Regulus said surprising everyone.

"**What's basketball?" said Wood curiously. **

"**Never mind," said Harry quickly.**

"**Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper**

"Just like Soccer!" Lily said smiling at the boys.

"It's not the same thing Lily we've been over this." Sirius told her sticking his tongue out at her. Then James, when the teachers weren't looking, flipped him off causing Sirius to laugh and quickly start reading again before Minerva could question him.

– **I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."  
**

"**Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all. "and they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for? He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.**

"**I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."**

**He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat.**

"**I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."  
**

**He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box. **

"**Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.**

"He's a brave soul."

**At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking his nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air - it zoomed around their heads and then shot a Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.**

"Maybe Harry could be a beater." Sirius suggested with a grin. Lily looked horrified.

"**See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the create and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team - the Weasley twins are ours - it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So - think you've got all that?"**

"**Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off.**

"**Very good," said Wood.**

"**Er – have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand.**

"Never at Hogwarts." Albus said.

"Though I think there has been a case of a bludger killing in other countries. Like America…" Sirius said wonderingly. "I think it was America…maybe it was the Netherlands… ugh."

"Sirius just start reading again." Minerva said sighing.

"**Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers -"**

"**- unless they crack my head open."**

"You're son's so pessimistic." Frank said causing James to glare at him.

"**Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers - I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."**

"Just like James and Sirius." Alice said smiling.

"Hey!" Sirius yelled.

"Just read Black otherwise we're never going to get though the chapter."**  
**

**Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.**

"**This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep.**

"So that hasn't changed at all in the future." Remus mentioned.

"**Well, that's it any questions?"**

"Why did we have to read all that?" Frank asked pretending to nod off. Alice hit him with a pillow.

**Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do all right; t was doing it that was going to be the problem.**

"**We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "It's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."  
**

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air. Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.**

"Hope he has an arm on him otherwise he's not doing Harry much good." Molly commented.

"He's a keeper so he must be use to throwing the Quaffle back to the chasers." Regulus said, still as softly has he always did**. **He did notice that he was slowing becoming more at ease with talking out loud in this rather large group of Gryffindors.

**Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on. **

"**That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year." said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."**

"I think I would have preferred that to dragons." Molly said shocked. She still had a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that her little 5 year old would grow up to chase after dragons.****

Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evening a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had. His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics. 

"They always do. In first years there is always a spark in interest around Halloween because the first years can finally start doing real spells." Minerva informed them.

**On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.**

The marauders all sighed imagining the smell. James suddenly realizing the talk of Quidditch was over clapped his hands to get McGonagall's attention and pointed to his throat.

"Fine Potter but you had better not start up again." She released him from the spell without even saying anything.

"Thank you." James said rubbing his throat.

**Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom.**

"Ah Wingardium Leviosa." Lily said smiling. "One of my favorite classes."

**Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye). **

Alice glared at the book.

**Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.**

"Poor Ron." Sirius said shaking his head. As usual everyone ignored him.

"**Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual, "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too - never forget wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself with a buffalo on his chest."**

"Same old Flitwick." Remus said with a hint of a smile **  
**

**It was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it - Harry had to put it out with his hat.**

"Nice!" James said. "Just don't burn you're hat Harry."

"It doesn't really make sense that we're taught how to create fires before learning how to create water?" Lily asked.

"Sadly Augamenti is such a high level spell we can't teach it any earlier."

**Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.**

"**Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.**

Lily tutted.

"Can it miss charms queen." Alice said from across the room, smiling at her dorm-mate.

"**You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."**

"**You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled. **

"Never challenge someone smarter then you, until you've learned more spells and could get lucky." Sirius suggested.

"Yes that's sound advice Black." Severus said staring at him.

**Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

**Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.**

"**Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"**

Sirius gave them all a look that said "I told you so".

**Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.**

"**It's now wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly."**

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly yelled. "Just because you couldn't do the spell doesn't mean you should pick on Hermione." Molly said.**  
**

**Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face – and was startled to see that she was in tears.**

"Aw." the girls all cried.

"Poor thing that must have really hurt her." Minerva said softly.

"What do you mean Professor?" Remus asked.

"I've seen that before, when a student, normally a muggleborn, comes into Hogwarts excited to learn they try to do their best and it alienates them from the rest of their classmates."

"So you can still be top of a class and have friends." James said.

"Think about it Mr. Potter. A majority of the muggleborn students didn't have a lot of friends before Hogwarts because of their accidental magic. Look at what we've learned about your son. Yes his cousin helped him not make friends, but many muggleborns lose friends because they perform accidental magic near them." At these words Lily and Severus nodded. They had both felt that in some way before. "So imagine getting your Hogwarts letter and realizing that you're not crazy and you have the talent of magic. You want to do well to become accepted into the society and sometimes that just alienates you more. It doesn't help with all the prejudice in the wizarding world."

"I hadn't thought of that before." James said after a couple minutes. "I always just thought it wasn't that different for them. Was it the same for you Lily?" He turned to address his girlfriend.

"I didn't have it as bad. I mostly played with my sister and she knew something was up with me. I did have one friend named Jenna who I was good friends with until my second to last year in primary school. I got so mad because it had gotten to cold and I wanted to go swimming. So at the ice skating rink I accidentally melted all the ice. Jenna was next to me when it happened and she avoided me the rest of the year."

"I'm sorry." James said. She shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter but I can see where someone like Hermione wouldn't just be ignored but made fun of in primary school." Regulus was listening to all of this in shock. Didn't mudbloods purposely try to over throw wizard traditions? Didn't they want to take all their jobs and magic when they just should have stayed in the muggle world? He had never heard of them referred to this way.

"**I think she heard you."**

"**So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."**

"Ron!" Molly yelled again. Arthur slowly patted his wives back in an effort to calm her down. **  
**

**Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girl's bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.**

The girls all frowned and glared at all the guys in the room who tactfully pretended not to notice.

**A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.**

**Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll - in the dungeons – thought you ought to know."**

"What! A troll!" Lily shrieked. She turned to the professors. "How could a troll get into Hogwarts?"

"Someone would have had to let it in." Minerva said shocked. "Otherwise it wouldn't have been able to enter the grounds." Albus's eyes lost that twinkle and his mind was racing.

James and Sirius both shared looks of glee. How could they have never thought of a troll before.

**He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.**

**There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.**

"**Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"**

**Percy was in his element. **

"**Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"**

"**How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.**

"**Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."**

"Ah." James and Sirius choused. Both professors shared a look, neither of them suspected Peeves. He wouldn't do anything that could potentially kill the students.

**They passed different groups of people hurrying in different direction. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.**

"**I've just thought - Hermione."**

"Oh my gosh." Molly said shocked.

"We forgot all about her." Minerva exclaimed.

"She'll be okay." Sirius said looking up from the book. "She's in a bathroom, the troll's not going to be going to a bathroom." He was quickly glared at.

"Black are you stupid or did you just not listen to the whole conversation we were just having about muggleborns?" Severus snarled at him, and for once no one tried to intervene. Sirius quickly kept reading.

"**What about her?"**

"**She doesn't know about the **troll**."  
**

**Ron bit his lip.**

"**Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us." **

"And they saved her from the troll and they became beset friends and lived happily ever after."

"Read what really happened Mr. Black or you're not going to be allowed to read anymore."

"Really?... oh bother… alright for the good of the group I won't read anymore. Lily you had better finish off, I know when I'm doing a bad job."

"Or perhaps you can read the next 3 chap…"**  
**

**Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuff's going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.**

"**Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.**

**Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.**

"**What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"**

James and Sirius sent him mysterious looks.

"Why aren't you with the rest of the teachers?" James questioned.

"They could have told the teachers to split up and look for the troll Potter." **  
**

"**Search me."  
**

**Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.**

"**He'd heading for the third floor." Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.**

"**Can you smell something?"**

"Oh no!" Lily whispered clutching James' hand.

**Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.**

**And then they heard it – a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.**

**It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.**

**The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.**

"What room?" Frank asked trying to get a layout of the floor in his head.

"**The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."**

"**Good idea," said Ron nervously.**

"Yes lock it in and run and get a teacher." Lily said franticly.

**They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.**

"**Yes!"**

**Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop – a high, petrified scream - and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.**

"Hermione!" Alice said shocked. "Stupid boys!"

"**Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.**

"**It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.**

"**Hermione!" they said together.**

**It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.**

**Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went. **

"**Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.**

**The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.**

Lily really squeaked now and James wrapped his arms around her just as worried. All thoughts of the troll being a joke disappeared immediately.

"**Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.**

"How are three first years suppose to take on a mountain troll?" Molly asked Albus.

"Anything's possible." was the only answer he gave.

"**Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.**

"Wouldn't most people run?" Regulus asked.

"It all depends on how you were raised and the experiences you had." Minerva told him but it was clear she was far more interested in what was happening in the book.**  
**

**The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.**

**Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped – it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.**

"Awesome." Sirius said laughing.

**Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life: any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.**

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand – not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

"Great the spell he can't do." Severus sneered. They ignored him like Sirius.

**The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over - and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.**

"Thank heavens." Lily sighed.

"I can't believe three first years took on a mountain troll and lived. By using Wingardium Leviosa!" Minerva said shocked. Albus looked highly amused.

"I think we can expect great things from those three." He said.

**Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.**

**It was Hermione who spoke first.**

"**Is it - dead?"**

"**I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."**

"Then get out fast." Molly advised.

**He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue. **

"**Urgh - troll boogers."**

"hehe troll boogers." Was how Sirius read the line.

**He wiped it on the troll's trousers.**

**A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll''s roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.**

"I'm sure I was about ready to have a heart attack." Minerva said clearly picturing what must have been going on in her head at the time.

**Snape bent over the troll, Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her looks so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points from Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.**

"I think some points are in order for saving another student. Then again it is their fault that she was in there in the first place."

"**What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"**

**Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down.**

"He's in shock." Arthur said.

**Then a small voice came out the shadows. **

"**Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."  
**

"**Miss Granger!"**

**Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.**

"**I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."**

"I don't believe it. Miss book worm is telling an outright lie to a teacher." Sirius was shocked.

"She didn't have to lie." Minerva said frowning.

"She probably just didn't want to risk getting Harry and Ron in trouble." Remus said recalling a similar event happening with James, Sirius, and himself.

"I have to admit that's pretty cool of her." Sirius said picking up the book again.

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?**

"Now he drops his wand, that's not going to look stupid or anything." Severus sarcastically said.

"**If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."  
**

**Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.**

"Most of it wasn't." Frank mentioned.

"**Well – in that case…" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"**

"Do you really think she did it?" Arthur asked Minerva.

"I don't believe I think she did it. But seeing as she's taking the blame I'm going to pretend I do."

**Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.**

"**Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."**

"That's proof I don't believe she did it. I would have taken more points if I truly believed she did it."

**Hermione left.**

**Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron.**

"**Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."**

"And that would be proof that I really don't believe they took it down either." Minerva said. "Normally I would have given them much more points."

**They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.**

"**We should have gotten more than ten points." Ron grumbled.**

"**Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."**

"**Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."**

"Mind you Ronald Weasley you got her into that mess." His mother scolded.

"Molly, and Lily to for this matter, you do realize that neither of them can hear you. So your scolding is really pointless." Remus tried to point out. Lily threw a pillow at him.

"**She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her." Harry reminded him.**

**They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.**

"**Pig snout," they said and entered. **

**The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.**

"Aww." Lily and Alice cooed.

**But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend.**

"Did I read that right?' Sirius said looking at the book.

**There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them. **

"That is very true." Remus said.

"And then sometimes you bond on the train ride there." James said thinking about Harry and Ron but also himself and Sirius.

"Can we eat now?" Sirius asked and they all laughed.


	12. Quidditch

_**Just to let you all know that I'm writing this chapter on my brand spanking new Mac Book Pro. Isn't it grand **____**. I've got a free trial of Mircosoft office for the Mac that allows me to transfer all my documents over with no problems. And it's absolutely beautiful. I've been using my old laptop for 6 years now it's so nice to finally have a laptop that I can do stuff on. I can now use my flip video recorder. Also if any one wants to follow me on twitter hermionewiz27 I'll update with info on my stories.**_

After a hearty lunch provided by the house-elves, they all quickly went back to the couches to begin reading again.

"Who is next?" Sirius sang holding up the book.

"I'll read." Frank said taking the book. "Maybe I can take that back this chapter is called Quidditch."

"Yes! We get to read about Harry flying!" James said happily. Lily chuckled at her boyfriend

**As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver skin boots. **

**The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place I the house championship.**

"Go go Gryffindor!" James and Sirius cheered loudly.

**Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as there secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse – people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.**

"He needs to have more confidence in himself." James said. "After all he caught that rememball in a fifty foot dive. He'll have no problems."

**It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. **

"Ugh how?" Sirius questioned. Minerva glared at him.

**He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent him Quidditch Through the ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read. **

"Okay I understand the homework thing. After all where would we be with out Moony here to help us out." Sirius said grinning at there friend.

**Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473;**

"Really?" Lily asked, having never read the book.

**that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to banish and turn up months later in the Sahara desert. **

"What?" Alice asked.

"No one knows how." James said.

**Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she much nicer for it. **

"I refuse to believe it." Sirius said.

"Okay Black just drop it. We know you hate the girl but she's going to be one of Harry's friends. Let Longbottom read the book." Severus said angrily. Sirius glared at him and opened his mouth to say something but Frank cut him off by starting to read again.

**The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. **

Albus raised his eyebrows and shared a look with Minerva. That was a second year charm.

**They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping. Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.**

"**What's that you've got there, Potter?'**

**It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.**

"**Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor." **

"That's not a rule Snape!" Sirius yelled at him.

"I know don't blame me I haven't done it yet."

"**He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"**

"**Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him." said Ron bitterly.**

Sirius had a look on his face that said he clearly agreed with Ron.

**The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.**

**Harry felt restless. He wanted Quidditch Through the ages back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape? Getting up, he told Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.**

"**Better you than me," they said together, but Harry had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening. **

"That's actually pretty smart he wouldn't be able to refuse it other teachers were watching." Arthur said.

**He made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.**

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside – and a horrible scene met his eyes. **

"Filch doing the dirty?" Sirius suggested wagging his eyebrows. All the girls looked sick to their stomachs.

"Mr. Black another comment like that and I will take points." Minerva warned him.

"But Minnie this is a safe zone. Professor Dumbledore said so." She glared at Albus.

"I can't take that back Minerva. You just may have to go deaf at times." He smiled broadly. "I find that to be a great mind clearer."

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone.**

"See!"

**Snape was holding his robes above his knees. **

"Oh my goodness." Lily said staring at Snape in shock. It really sounded like what Sirius had suggested.

**One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. **

"See nothing happened." He said glaring at all the Gryffindors, mostly the Marauders who had been holding in laughter.

"**Blasted thing." Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"**

"Ah so look who was trying to get past the dog on Halloween." Sirius said smirking.

"Mr. Black that is enough." Albus said quietly. "I do not want to hear you say another word to Mr. Snape about what his future self has done

**Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but -**

"**POTTER!"**

**Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped.**

"**I just wondered if I could have my book back."**

The crowd groaned.

"You're a brave soul Harry." Remus whispered.

"**GET OUT! OUT!"**

**Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. He sprinted back upstairs. **

"**Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?'**

**In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.**

"**You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him – he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"**

"I would never." Severus said. James looked at Lily who was frowning. Even though Severus and her weren't on the best terms anymore she had a hard time thinking he would do that. Though she also agreed with her son. It did look like it made since.

**Hermione's eyes were wide.**

"**No - he wouldn't" she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."**

"**Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"**

**Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question. Neville was snoring loudly, but Harry couldn't sleep. He tried to empty his mind – he needed to sleep, he had to, he had his first Quidditch match in a few hours – but the expression on Snape's face when Harry had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget.**

That would give me nightmares to, James thought. Not that he'd dare say that aloud around Lily and the Professors.

**The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.**

"There's nothing like the smell of Quidditch in the morning." James said happily.

"**You've got to eat some breakfast."  
**

"**I don't want anything."**

"You do need to eat Harry you're much to thin." Lily said worried.

"Don't worry Lily. If he ever comes over to our house with Ron I'll be sure to get some food into him." Molly reassured her.

"Thank you Molly." Lily said gratefully

"**Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.**

"**I'm not hungry."**

**Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field. **

"Pre game jitters happens to everyone except Prongs here." Sirius said giving James a pat on the back.

"**Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."**

"Yeppie." Lily said weakly.

"Don't worry Lils, there are seven books so Harry'll be fine." James said trying to reassure her.

"But he could still get hurt!" She cried.

"**Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.**

**By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

**Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. **

"Dean the West Ham fan." Alice said chuckling. Frank gave her a look before continuing on with the book.

**As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a trickly little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.**

"Aw how sweet of them." Molly said smiling.

**Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green.)**

**Wood cleared his throat for silence.**

"**Okay, men," he said.**

"**And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.**

"**And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."**

"**The big one," said Fred Weasley.**

"**The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

"Hey we do that to you James." Sirius said laughing at his friend.

"**We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year."**

"**Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."**

**He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

"James you do that to. Are you sure this Oliver kids not your son?"

"Ugh pretty sure Padfoot considering he'd already be born."

"**Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."**

**Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers. **

**Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.**

"**Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you." she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain. Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Harry though Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of this eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver.**

"At a boy Harry." James cheered.

"**Mount your brooms, please."  
**

**Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.**

**Fifteen brooms rose up, high into the air. They were off. **

"**And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"**

"**JORDAN!"**

"**Sorry, Professor."**

**The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.**

"Ugh." She groaned. Albus patted her on the back lightly.

"**And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc -no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – OUCH – that's must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a bludger – Quaffle taken by the Slytherins –that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goal posts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Blecthly dives – misses – GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"  
**

James, Sirius, and Alice who had all been died silent till then began to cheer.

**Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the slytherins.**

"**Budge up there, move along."**

"**Hagrid!"**

**Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.**

"**Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"**

"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."

"**Kept outta trouble, through, that's something," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry. **

**Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.**

"**Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."**

James nodded but surprisingly didn't say a word.

**When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.**

"**All right there, Haryr?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.**

"**Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and chaser Bell, and speeds toward the – wait a moment – was that the Snitch?"**

**A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.**

**Harry saw it. in a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin seeker Terrance Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch – all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.**

**Harry was faster than Higgs – he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead – he put on an extra spurt of speed –**

**WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below – Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.**

"Why that no good scoundrel! He better get a foul for that, the cheating…. Bastard…" James was mumbling. All the Gryffindors were glaring at the book. Even Regulus was shocked that the Slytherin captain would pull a move like that. Normally captains avoided getting their hands dirty for risk of losing their position.

"**Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.**

**Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.**

**Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"**

"They should do that in Quiddich." Lily said harshly.

"What's a red card?" Arthur asked.

"It's given to a player in soccer when you commit a bad foul. It sends you out for the rest of the game and in some areas you have to sit out the next game to."

"That's actually not a bad idea." Minerva said interested.

"**What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.**

"**Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"**

"**But this isn't soccer, Dean," Ron reminded him.**

**Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.**

"As am I." Lily said still a little peeved.

"**They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."**

**Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.**

"**So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –"**

"**Jordan!" growled Prfessor McGonagall.**

"**I mean, after that open and revolting foul…"**

"**Jordan, I'm warning you -"**

"I think I like this kid." Alice said smiling at the commentary.

"**All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."**

**It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. **

"What?" Remus asked.

"Someone's must have messed with the broom." James said.

"Are you sure, Harry didn't just imagine it?" Lily said hopefully.

"Nope only Dark Magic can mess with the internal workings of a broom." Sirius chimed in.

**For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.**

**It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off, but Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts - he had half a mind to ask wood to call a time-out – and then he realized that his broom was completely out of this control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unsealed him.**

"Oh no." Lily whispered.

**Lee was still commentation. **

"**Slytherin in possession – Flint with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose – only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - oh no…"**

**The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.**

"**Dunno what Harry thinks he'd doing." Hagrid mumbled. He started through his binoculars. "If I didn't know better. I'd say he'd lost control of this broom… but he can't have…"**

**Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.**

"**Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.**

"A student couldn't have done that." Minerva said.

"**Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."**

**At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.**

"I never thought I'd say it but smart girl." Sirius said.

"**What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.**

"**I knew it," Hermione gasped. "Snape - look."**

**Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.**

"He's jinxing the broom." Surpisingly it was Regulus who said that.

"Or…" Minerva started getting their attention. "He's saying a counter curse. The description matches both." Severus gave her agrateful look.

"**He's doing something – jinxing the broom," said Hermione.**

"**What should we do?"**

"**Leave it to me."**

"Why does that make me scared." Severus said.

**Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good – every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.**

"**Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.**

**Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't eve stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching snape, she croutched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well –chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.**

Albus and Minerva shared a look at the mention of Quirrell.

**It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her when had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row – Snape would never know what had happened. **

**It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back onto his broom.**

The room cheered.

"**Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.**

"Aw… " Alice cooed. Her poor sons.

**Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick – he hit the field on all fours – coughed - and something gold fell into his hands. **

"You've got to be kidding me." James said staring at the book. "did you read that right Frank?" Frank reread the sentence.

"Crazy huh." He said. Sirius suddenly cheered.

"My godson won his first Quidditch match. Firewhiskey all around."

"Mr. Black!"

"We are all of age Professor!"

"I'm not." Regulus said quietly.

"Be quiet baby brother."

"Don't call me a baby. I'm smarter then you."

"Frank please keep reading." Alice said loudly.

"**I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended incomplete confusion.**

"**He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it." Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made not difference – Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results – Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Harry heard none of this, though. He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione.**

"**It was Snape," Ron was explaining. "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."**

Lily glared at Sirius as if telling him to be quiet and not say a word.

"**Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "why would Snape do somethin' like that?"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.**

"**I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."  
**

**Hagrid dropped the teapot.**

"**How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.**

"Fluffy? Hagrid named the Cerberus Fluffy!" Lily screamed.

"That actually seems right for Hagrid." Sirius said grinning.

"**Fluffy!"**

"**Yeah- he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year – I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the –"**

"Oh Hagrid." Minerva sighed. "why would you tell James Potter's son that."

"Love you to, Minnie." James said beaming.

"**Yes?" said Harry eagerly.**

"**now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."**

"**But Snape's trying to steal it."**

"**Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."**

"**So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.**

"You have to admit that for 3 first years they have some good logic behind them." Frank said.

**The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.**

"**I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them!" You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"**

"It's true." Sirius said lightly.

"**I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don't know why Haryr's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel –" **

"Oh Hagrid." They all sighed.

"**Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"**

**Hagrid looked furious with himself.**

"As he should be." Minerva said angrily. "who's going to read next?"

"Can I read again?" Lily asked. Frank shrugged and handed the book over.


End file.
